Who Wants To Be A Vampire?
by Queen Boadicea
Summary: This is pt. 2 of the "Humanity" trilogy. The Scoobies encounter a vampiress who wants to become human again--but Spike doesn't trust her.
1. New Vampire on the Block

Title: Who Wants To Be a Vampire? (part 2 in the "Humanity" trilogy)

Author: Queen Boadicea

Email: queenboadiceaoftheiceni@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: This belongs to the great and powerful Joss and the usual gang of idi…uh, geniuses

Pairing: W/T, An/X

Distribution: 

Feedback: Do your worst—it can't compare to my worst ;)

[thoughts], Russian indicated by 

The silent watcher looked on as Buffy tackled a particularly large demon. The creature was huge, purplish in color and covered with sharp spines and sporting needle-like teeth. It towered at nine feet and the petite Slayer looked hopelessly outmatched. Privately the watcher wondered how she'd manage without proper weaponry. The small stake she carried appeared hopelessly inadequate for the task at hand. 

Suddenly, another blonde streaked from her right and charged, yelling insults at the startled beast. "Oy, pick on someone your own size, you overgrown people eater!"

Buffy halted, absolutely infuriated. "Spike, will you get OUT OF THE WAY!?!? You're blocking my shot!" The watcher frowned. Spike? Who the hell was that? And why would any other human risk his life in this foolhardy fashion?

The man in question had tackled the monster, throwing it hard into an adjacent gravestone. "Come on, you purple pillock, is that all the fight you've got?" The watcher gaped in astonishment as the man's face suddenly shifted, revealing bony ridges on his forehead and pointed fangs. 

Buffy sighed in exasperation and hefted the stake. Watching carefully for her opening, she swiftly threw it at the creature's head when it struggled to scramble upright. The small wooden projectile flew through the air and unerringly found its target—in the monster's left eye. The creature gurgled, pawed feebly at the piece of wood and then toppled like a stone, pinning the leather-clad blonde underneath its weight. Buffy stared at him in amusement, shrugged her shoulders and then casually yanked her stake out of the creature's eye. After wiping it on the demon's scaly hide, she walked off into the darkness.

"Hey, Buffy! Come on, you just going to leave me here?" the man shouted as he struggled ineffectually to remove the behemoth holding him to the ground. 

"Who cares, Spike?" she yelled back. "Nobody invited you to this party, anyway!" 

The watcher stared at the vampire as he finally shoved the monster off and took off after the blonde Slayer. "You'd think after lending you an assist, you'd show a little gratitude," he groused.

"You want gratitude, Spike, go work at a soup kitchen. Why don't you just take off and find someone else to pester? Go back to pool hustling. I'm sure you're low on cash by now." 

The vampire darted in front of her and started what was obviously a long-standing argument. "God, Buffy, when you are going to give me any credit? I tell you, a man can change."

"You don't want credit, Spike. You prefer money. And as I keep telling you, you're not a…"

"A man, yeah, I know. Look, Slayer, just because I'm not human doesn't mean I'm not a man." 

"Wow, now there's a positive endorsement for putting up with your company! 'The Slayer hangs out with a vampire!'" Buffy exclaimed with a bitter laugh.

"It wouldn't be the first time," Spike said in a low suggestive tone. The watcher shivered, feeling a sudden chill. By the stiff, icy expression that appeared in Buffy's eyes, that was evidently the wrong thing to say. 

"Seeing how badly that turned out, there is no way I'm repeating that particular mistake. Especially with _you."_ She brushed past Spike, either ignoring or not seeing the flash of pain that darted across his face.

"Buffy, what the hell was so special about Angel?" At her incredulous look, he sneered, "Oh, right that poncy soul of his. Like that's so wonderful! He needed a soul to be good. Without it, he was an evil, vicious bastard, wasn't he?"

"And isn't _that_ a case of the pot calling the kettle black! As if you were never an evil, vicious bastard!"

"Well, I'm trying to be good. And I'm doing it without a stupid soul!"

"That's right. You don't have a soul—you've got a leash." Buffy gave him a poisonous smile and sauntered off leaving the vampire speechless. The listener had heard enough for the time being. The vampire had initially appeared to be an obstacle but perhaps might now be an asset instead. The game would have to be carefully played but success definitely seemed in the cards. Nodding in satisfaction, the watcher melted quietly into the shadows.

Xander greeted the other men on his shift. He couldn't believe how great his life was these days. He was going to marry the woman he loved who loved him, he'd found a career for which he was perfectly suited instead of an endless string of dead-end high school jobs with his name on the shirt and the demon population seemed to be fairly quiet these days. [And only on the Hellmouth would something like _that_ be considered a perk.] He shook his head, resisting the urge to whistle a happy tune. Oh yeah, life was good.

"Psst, you there. May I talk to you?"

He spun around quickly. Maybe he'd been congratulating himself too soon. In a dark corner of an unfinished section of the building the crew was working on, a tall figure peered nervously out at him from the shadows. And wasn't it just a little too warm to be wearing a heavy coat? With a hood? 

"You're Xander, aren't you? Alexander Harris?"

"Who's asking?" Xander returned as he tried to stroll casually towards a toolbox only six feet away. It was broad daylight but he knew vampires could move about during the day if they avoided direct sunlight—and he didn't like the way this woman (he could see it was a woman now) kept glancing uneasily at the patch of sunlight lying on the bare floorboards. 

"You don't know me. But I need to know if you're Xander Harris. Don't move!" she snapped sharply, finally noticing his subtle movements. Her voice softened as if she didn't want to startle him. "I just need help and you're the only one I could turn to—that is, _if_ you're Xander Harris." She gave him a desperately hopeful look. "Well?"

He'd stopped at her earlier admonishment but suddenly dived towards the toolbox. Knocking it over, he yanked up a large wood cross with a pointed end that he'd hidden in the lower compartment for just such an emergency. Brandishing it towards the hidden woman, he yelled, "Back, fiend! I've got a stake and I know how to use it!"

Amazingly, the woman appeared almost relieved. "If you know what I am, then you must be Xander Harris. I need your help. Or rather, the help of your friend." 

Xander approached her carefully. She shrank back from the cross until her back met the supporting wall behind her, but her eyes remained riveted on the young man as if he really were her last hope. "What friend would that be, lady?" She gave him a penetrating stare and said the last thing he expected. 

"The Slayer."

Buffy was getting Dawn ready for school when the call came. Secretly she welcomed the interruption. She'd been in the middle of another fight with her little sister. They seemed to come daily now. Dawn questioned her authority on almost everything. Now she wanted to stay out tonight with some boy she'd met, a boy Buffy didn't even know. When the older girl had pointed out what had happened the last time Dawn had dated some strange kid, the teenager had blown up at her. The yelling match seemed to escalate in fury and volume when the harsh ringing of the phone had interrupted. When Buffy had turned to answer it, Dawn had used the distraction to bolt from the house. Buffy sighed and hoped she could catch up with Dawn when she left school. "Hello, Summers' residence? Who's calling?"

"Buffy, it's Xander. You're not going to believe what happened to me today."

Xander had told the foreman he had a family emergency and managed to bundle the vampiress into the trunk of his car without being seen. She'd asked to be taken to Buffy's house. She'd told him calmly that she already knew where the Slayer lived and had given him Buffy's address as proof when he'd hesitated. "If you know where Buffy lives, why come to me?" 

She'd sighed and gazed at the floor, then raised her eyes with a sheepish look. "Well, if I'd just shown up on her doorstep, I don't think she would have been predisposed to greet me kindly. I was hoping that you wouldn't stake me on sight. I'm not looking to challenge her. I really need her help."

"Look, Buffy has to go to school. She'll meet with you later. So I can't take you to her house right now."

She gave him a puzzled look. "Well, then, where are you taking me?" 

Xander drew a deep breath. "There's a vampire I know. He'll put you up at his crypt until dark." 

The vampiress stared at him in outright panic. "NO! I don't want to see another vampire! You don't understand! I have to stay away from them. And I have to be back _before_ dark—before I'm missed." Her eyes darted around wildly and she clenched her fists in frustration.

Xander frowned. He'd never met a vampire who was scared of other vampires and this one appeared terrified. "Look, lady, we're out of options here. I'm not taking you to see my friend until I'm sure you're not going to try and hurt her." Thinking for a moment, he said, "You can stay at the Magic Box. It's a little shop that sells magical items. It's run by a powerful witch so I don't suggest you try anything." He added a glare to back up his lie. Anya wasn't a witch but there was no need to let this woman know that. 

She thought for a moment, then nodded. "All right. You want to protect your friends. I understand." She flashed him a grateful smile. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," Xander replied without thinking. Damn, he couldn't remember ever before meeting a vampire who was so…polite. Except for Angel. Angel had avoided other vampires, too, come to think of it. Did this woman also have a soul? He eyed her uncertainly. How did you spot a souled vampire, anyway?

There had been a heated argument between Xander and his fiancée when he'd brought the woman there. He'd hurriedly invited her in and then had to explain to Anya why he'd let a bloodsucking fiend into the store when they'd gone to so much trouble to make the place resistant to vampiric entry. Anya had glared at the hooded figure and hissed at him. 

"It's because she's a woman, isn't it? God, Willow was right about you. You're just a sucker for demonic women!"

"Come on, Anya, you're not being fair. She's asking for our help. I thought you of all people would understand." 

"What, just because I used to be a demon I should keep an open house to every one who marches up to us? First Spike, now this. I mean, this woman could kill me and every customer who comes in here!"

Xander sighed. "In that case, why risk it during daylight? Vampires usually hunt at night. And she'd be pissing off the Slayer. I haven't met any vampires dumb enough to try that in awhile. Just stick her in the basement and lock the door. I installed a heavy-duty deadbolt. No vampire can get through that." He glanced back at the woman and gave her a reassuring smile. She didn't look up from underneath her hood. 

Anya shook her head, still doubtful. "At least let's see her face first. She might not even be a vampire, just some con artist trying to take advantage of your weak nature!"

He couldn't believe Anya. Sometimes the logic of her mind defied understanding. "So she poses as a vampire to gain what—free blood?" 

The woman spoke up for the first time since she'd entered the store. "It's all right, Xander." She raised her hood revealing the face of a middle-aged woman, not much older than 35, though that gave no clue to her real age. She had black hair and brown eyes. She also appeared tired and strained and there was a wretched expression on her face. "Like I said, I can't stay long anyway. I have to get back before sundown or they'll know I've been out. I'll probably have to grab a shower, too. I don't want them to smell that I've been with humans." She gave a brief shudder and gritted her teeth. 

Xander and Anya glanced at each other. What vampire was afraid of being among humans? This was getting stranger by the minute. "We still don't know you're a vampire," Anya accused. 

The woman gave her a level stare and then her face abruptly shifted into familiar ridges and yellowed eyes. The two humans jumped back even as her features re-settled into human lines. "Satisfied?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm convinced! Anya, what about you?" 

"Definitely, no doubt about it! The basement's this way." Backing up warily and shooting Xander a hostile look, Anya pointed towards the basement. 

Just before she disappeared, the woman gave Xander one last pleading gaze. "You'll tell the Slayer not to hurt me, right? I want her help not a fight."

"Sure, absolutely." She smiled at him again and disappeared into the basement.

"And that's it, Buffy. She's been there ever since. You can see her after school but you'd better come directly to the Magic Box. She's really terrified of being out after dark for some reason." Buffy hung up the phone and bit at her lip. She knew Xander was a bit of a soft touch where female demons were concerned. But he'd grown far more responsible in the last few years. If he was certain this woman needed help, then she had to look into it. Besides, the vampiress was safely caged and sounded a lot less dangerous than most. All the same—she shrugged, packed a stake and headed off to school.

Needless to say, all the Scoobies were excited when they heard the news. They gathered in the Magic Box and waited impatiently for Buffy to show up. They'd been bombarding Xander with questions about his mysterious 'friend' ever since they arrived while he did his best to tell his story.

Willow was incredulous. "Xander, are you kidding me? You brought a vampire here? And she says she knows Buffy?"

"Willow, she said she knew _about_ the Slayer not that she knew her. She wants to wait until Buffy arrives before coming out. If she'd planned on hurting us, don't you think she would have taken advantage of Buffy's absence and tried to attack us by now?" 

Tara peered curiously towards the basement. "So what's she like, Xander? I mean, what's her name?" 

Xander opened and closed his mouth silently. Anya rolled her eyes in exasperation. "You mean you didn't even get her name?" 

He retorted, "Hey, it's not as if you asked when I brought her here. You were getting all jealous and upset because she's female!" They all jumped when they door banged open. Buffy walked in with Dawn, the latter appearing slightly out of breath. "So, Buffy, you ran all the way, huh?" Xander felt secretly pleased. It wasn't often he had news that could get Buffy so excited. 

Buffy spoke with her usual bluntness. "I'm sorry I'm late. I had to pick up Dawn. OK, Xander, where is she?" 

Dawn flounced over to a chair and pouted. "Yeah, let's see this mysterious vampire. I don't want to miss an important date because of this." 

Anya glared at Xander and said, "You brought her here. You can bring her out." 

Xander walked back and unlocked the basement door. "Remember, Buffy, I promised you wouldn't stake her until you heard her out." 

Buffy eyes narrowed. "I'll decide that for myself."

The woman came up and hesitated when she saw so many other people. Xander swiftly made introductions. Then her eyes locked on Buffy. She stepped forward, extending her hand. "How do you do? I'm Melissa Shaw." When Buffy didn't respond, she nervously dropped her hand. "What did Xander tell you?"

"Not much. Only that you wanted my help. I think you should know I'm not in the habit of helping vampires."

At that moment, the door banged open again, revealing a blanket draped over a smoking figure. He ran forward only to rebound off the invisible barrier that shielded the Magic Box. "Oh, for cryin'—will one of you invite me in already! I'm about the fricassee out here!"

"What's-the-magic-word, Spike?" Xander singsonged. 

The vampire growled and yelled, "NOW!" 

Xander appeared to think and then shook his head sadly. "Nope, that's not it." He shut the door and turned back only to blink in surprise. "Hey, where'd she go?" The others started looking around the Magic Box. Melissa had mysteriously disappeared. 

Tara said, "I think she ducked back down into the basement." Ignoring Spike's yells as he continued to burn under the sunlight, the others marched down to the basement. 

There they found the woman huddled on the floor, shaking in obvious terror. "What's the matter, Melissa?" Willow couldn't remember seeing such mortal fear on a vampire's face before, not even those who faced Buffy. 

"What's that other vampire doing here? He's one of Onegin's crew! God, they found me! They know I've snuck out!" She bent her head down and started moaning. 

"Spike doesn't really work for anybody but Spike. And who's Onegin?" Buffy frowned. The name was unfamiliar. Was it another vampire? 

Melissa lifted up her face. "Y-you know this vampire? He's a friend?" She paused and the ghost of a smile twitched at her lips. "And his name is _Spike?"_

"I wouldn't call Spike a friend exactly. More of a reluctant ally. It's a long story. He won't hurt you, I promise," Xander said firmly. He was beginning to feel distinctly protective of Melissa even if she was considerably older than he. 

She took a shuddering breath and grasped his outstretched hand. "Maybe I should stay down here until he goes. I don't want to talk to other vampires. Even if they are named after dogs."

Buffy ruthlessly stifled a laugh at that last comment and made a mental note to ask about it later. She said, "Fine, we'll just ignore him. He's got to go away anyway or risk a premature death by sunlight. Now answer the question. Who's Onegin?"

The vampiress's face hardened and she spat out, "The bastard's my Sire."

Willow peeked out from behind the store blinds and called back. "The coast's clear. He's gone for the moment. He'll probably be back by nightfall, though."

Melissa settled herself at the Magic Box's table and listened carefully. "I don't sense him nearby. I guess it's safe." She let out a relieved sigh and Buffy raised her eyebrows. For a vampire, this woman certainly appeared to breathe a lot.

"I should start at the beginning. I'm a computer programmer. A damn good one, too. I was in town with my sales team two months ago as part of a seminar. I was just walking back to the hotel when someone came up behind me and knocked me out. I'd been warned to be careful after dark but I was in such a hurry to get to my room that I wasn't really paying attention. When I came to, there was this man holding me in this iron grip and biting my throat out. The agony was horrific. I tried screaming and struggling but I couldn't break his hold. I could feel my life just slipping away." 

She stared around at them and attempted a bleak smile. "I'd thought that was just an expression, you know. But I actually felt it happening. Then he ripped open his chest with a really long, sharp fingernail—god, the man should see a manicurist. There's no reason for _anyone_ to be sporting talons like that." She shuddered in disgust and continued. "He pressed my face into his chest and held his other hand over my nose. After awhile, I got too dizzy and weak to keep my mouth shut and his blood just…" she trailed off and stared at the floor. 

Buffy broke the awkward silence. "So then what happened?" 

Melissa looked up wearily. "I woke up chained to a wall. I was in a dungeon. I was disoriented and confused but the most powerful sensation was this awful gnawing hunger at the pit of my stomach. It seemed to be reaching up and clawing at my throat. I started yelling for help. But nobody showed for what seemed like ages. Finally, when the hunger was so bad I thought I'd go insane from it, Onegin showed up with Yuri. That's his amanuensis." At their uncomprehending looks, she amended, "His right-hand man. Yuri does practically everything for Onegin. He trusts him implicitly."

"Yuri's a vampire, too?" Tara said quietly. 

Melissa nodded. "Onegin's got over fifty fledges and minions ranging in age from about three to two hundred years but he's set Yuri above them all. Ilyosha Dimitri Konstantin Onegin is—or rather was—a Russian boyar. That's a level of nobility just below that of the ruling princes in Czarist Russia. It was abolished by Peter the Great. Onegin was deeply pissed, he never forgave him." Melissa allowed herself a swift malicious grin before continuing. "He turned Yuri about four hundred years ago. He was one of his serfs and is totally devoted to him."

"They had a kid with them. He couldn't have been much older than she." She gestured towards Dawn. "They'd torn open his throat so that he was bleeding but still conscious. He didn't have much strength to do anything but moan. They held him up to my mouth and told me to drink. I thought I'd been captured by lunatics, you know, mad serial killers like the Manson family. But when they brought him near me, I smelled his blood. It was...incredible. I could hear his heartbeat, smell his fear and…other things. He'd wet himself." Melissa gave another shudder. But the blood—it was like nothing else in the world mattered. They held him nearer, and I was suddenly terrified. I started screaming again for somebody, anybody, to help me. I begged them to let us both go. Onegin smiled this awful smile and told me the boy was as good as dead anyway. If I didn't finish him, they'd feed him to one of the other fledges. I didn't understand _what_ he was talking about, only that I'd gotten trapped in some awful Bela Lugosi nightmare and that there was nothing I could do for the kid. I thought if I pretended to go along with it maybe I could get out. I asked them to unchain my hands, that it was difficult to get a good grip with my hands pinned that way. When they unchained me, I bolted for the stairs. Yuri tackled me before I got two feet. They rechained me to the wall and dragged the kid away. I never saw him again." 

Melissa looked up at them with unshed tears in her eyes. "You have to understand. I couldn't figure out what was going on, only that I had to get away. It was selfish of me not to think of that kid, I know. But I was still weak from hunger. I couldn't even save myself."

Buffy decided to turn things to a safer subject; reliving this incident obviously had the woman deeply upset. "So, why'd this Onegin turn you anyway?"

Melissa blinked at the sudden change of topic but appeared glad to think of something else. "He wanted a computer programmer to work for him."

Willow snorted. "Is he crazy? Hasn't he ever heard of hiring consultants?"

Melissa grinned weakly at her. "That's what I asked later once I realized what had been done to me. Onegin told me he'd previously hired a man but the guy left him after years of service. He'd gotten a better offer from another company that included extensive travel to sunny countries that Onegin refused to travel to...for obvious reasons." She ruefully shook her head. "So he thought that a vampire programmer would be more faithful. Plus he doesn't have to pay me. Onegin's like a lot of rich men—really cheap."

"If he doesn't like sunny climates, what's he doing here? We _are_ in California, you know—Sunburn Central," Xander pointed out. 

"Low property values. It seems real estate is priced really low here. Probably has something to do with the high death rate," Melissa mused.

"So all this happened two months ago? Why come to us for help now?" Anya pointed out. "You had plenty of opportunities before now, didn't you? I mean, they obviously let you loose from the wall."

Melissa shook her head again. "They kept me chained until I got even hungrier. The next time they brought me a victim, I didn't hesitate. I-I drank his blood until he was dead. But I still hated it. I hated Onegin, too and didn't make any bones about hiding it. When they unchained me at last and brought me into his study to start working at the computer equipment, I vomited most of the blood I'd just drunk onto the rug. A sixth-century Persian rug. Onegin was furious." Melissa grinned again and this time there was a glint of gold in her eyes as if the memory brought her a sense of deep satisfaction. Then the look faded. "That's when he gave me my first beating."

There was a sharp hiss from Dawn. "He _beat_ you?!" That's just awful!" Buffy glanced sharply at her. She'd brought Dawn here to keep her out of trouble with her new date but now she wondered whether this exposure to the seamier side of vampire life was a such a good alternative. 

Melissa appeared to come to the same conclusion. She straightened herself and said, "You know, there's no need to go into the sordid unlife of vampires. It involves a lot of brutality, bloodshed and viciousness to drive out your humanity and encourage your demon to emerge. Over time you just stifle whatever humanity is in you just in order to get the pain to stop. After that, it becomes about inflicting pain on others. Onegin wanted me to kill my family and friends. I pointed out that since I was an only child and my parents had retired to a lovely home in Vermont and we were in California, that might be a tad difficult." 

Tara grimaced, "Why'd he want you to do that?" 

Melissa shrugged. "There are lots of reasons. It severs your last ties to humanity. It makes killing strangers easy. Why balk at taking the life of an unknown after you've ripped out the hearts of your kinfolk, right? It's also a kind of rite of passage, a final test. If you can bring yourself to kill your family, you've got what it takes, I guess. So I pretended to go along as much as I could. I couldn't stand the other vampires and they knew it. They'd punch and hit me when Yuri wasn't around to stop them, even the females. I'd thought that I might make some allies among _them_ at least, but no dice. After awhile I just stayed in the computer room where they didn't dare go. Onegin didn't want some bored, rowdy minion damaging the equipment so he made the room off limits to the others on pain of a severe dusting."

Buffy shifted impatiently. "Well, that gets that story out of the way. Now back to Anya's question. Since they trust you now and you've adjusted to being a vampire, what do you want from me?"

Melissa looked at her in silence for a long moment. "You don't get it. I haven't adjusted and I don't _want_ to be a vampire. I tried talking to the other minions, asking if they ever regretted being…what they were. They all laughed at me as if I was insane. Most of them have been vampires for years. They just LOVE existing on a permanent liquid diet, they ADORE ripping out the throats of human beings and eating food that reeks of piss and fear. They think of themselves as superior beings and that humans are just food like cows. Try pointing out that most humans don't live in pens and most vampires slum in sewers and the irony goes right over their heads. Just because this lot stay in a castle…"

Buffy interrupted, "They live in a castle?" 

Melissa peered at her, mystified by her sudden excitement. "Yeah, it's a big dig on the eastern side of town. 

The Scoobies all stared at each other and said as one, "Dracula."

Melissa blinked. "Dracula? What's Bram Stoker got to do with it?"

"What does this Onegin of yours look like?" Buffy demanded. 

"He's short, about five feet, three inches but strong for his height. He has blondish hair and close-set blue eyes." The others relaxed. This didn't sound like the Prince of Darkness at all. "Why the interest? And why'd you mention Dracula?"

"Dracula was in town a couple of years back. He came here specifically looking for Buffy. It sounds like your Onegin set up house in the very same castle," Anya explained. 

Melissa's jaw dropped. "You mean there really IS a Dracula? I thought he was a myth!" 

"So did we—until he showed up here," Tara added.

"Well, Onegin isn't Dracula, if that's what you were all thinking. He's only about five hundred years old. Although he'd probably cream himself if he knew he was staying in the same castle that Dracula was in." Melissa considered for a moment. "I don't think I'll tell him. He's got enough of a swollen ego as it is. Anyway, he's not a daredevil like Dracula. He warned us to avoid the Slayer. He said you were really dangerous. The tales are that you defeated a dinosaur, a five-thousand-year-old Master vampire and a Hellgod. There was even stories that Hellion demons came into town because they thought you were dead, and yet, here you are. He was very specific in warning us away from you. He hasn't survived for over half a millenium by being foolhardy."

"It sounds like he's done his homework," Buffy muttered. More than that. The details of her exploits weren't the sort of things to make the papers. Otherwise the people of Sunnydale would be giving her ticker tape parades down the main street of town. It sounded as if this Onegin had been keeping tabs on her.

"And that brings me to why I'm here. When I heard him talk about you that way, it gave me hope. Maybe my enemy's enemy could be my friend. Or at least an ally," she hastily amended at Buffy's look.

"So what is it exactly you expect me to do for you?" 

Melissa drew a folded piece of paper out of her coat. "Yuri watches me pretty closely when I'm working on the computer, but he's as ignorant as Onegin as to how it works. There are some real disadvantages to outliving your own time period. I put out a search engine on vampiric cures and after awhile I came up with this." She smoothed the paper out reverently on the Magic Box table. The others bent over the table to study it. Buffy started. Some flicker of memory teased her. Where had she seen such a face before?

"Okay, it's a demon. So what?" Dawn shrugged.

"Look at the small print. It says this is a Mohra demon. The blood of eternity runs in their veins and is said to have regenerative properties. The rumors are that their blood can make a vampire human." Melissa's voice dropped reverently on the last word as if she were speaking of the Holy Grail.

"So you want Buffy to nab a Mohra demon for you?" Xander chirped. "No problem! We'll just round up one and get Buffy to kill it." 

Melissa shook her head. "It's not that simple, Xander. Mohras are solitary, secretive types. They're warrior assassins. Like all assassins, they have to be hired. You can't just walk up to one in a bar and start pitching a deal."

"Then how do we find one?" 

Melissa turned to Buffy with something like hope in her voice for the very first time. "So you'll help me?" 

"Hold on, I didn't say that. Like I said before, I'm in the business of killing vampires not helping them. I'd much prefer to wipe out this Onegin and his little vampire club, not bring another demon into Sunnydale." 

Melissa shook her head frantically. "No, you can't do that!" 

Buffy's mouth tightened. "In case, you haven't been following me, that's what I do. I'm THE SLAYER. Get it?"

Melissa stood up. "I understand. And I want Onegin dead, too. I've no fondness for him or any of his people. He stole my life, he robbed me of my humanity and I may have to spend an eternity dodging death at the hands of countless Slayers because of him. But it's essential to my plan that Onegin remain alive at least for the time being."

"Oh, you've got a plan already? That's convenient," Dawn said sarcastically.

"Look, if you want to kill some of Onegin's minions, I can tell you where they hunt. Take out as many of them as you can. If Onegin perceives you as a threat, then he'll have to hire someone to get rid of you. And who better than a Mohra demon?" 

Melissa looked around at them. "It's very simple, just like the best of plans. When the Mohra comes after you, you kill it, get some of its blood and make me human. Then I'll show you the way I got out of the castle and you can go and slaughter them to your heart's content. I drew up a plan of the castle schematics as well as the surrounding sewer system from the city's plans on the computer. That's how I was able to get away during the daytime and find Xander. I know this plan seems farfetched and you've no reason to trust me, but you've got to believe me. I just want to be human again!"

Melissa slumped back down as if this speech had taken too much out of her. The strained silence was abruptly broken by a rumbling sound. "Xander, did you forget to eat the lunch I packed for you?" Anya asked. 

"Hey, it wasn't me!" he protested. 

Melissa gave them an embarrassed look. "I'm afraid that's my stomach. Onegin keeps me poorly fed to make me weak. He thinks it'll make me more eager to go out and hunt on my own eventually." She cast her eyes down in shame as the others subtly edged away from her. 

"Well, I'd say it's time for some research." The others groaned at Willow's suggestion but started pulling down books nonetheless. "We're just covering our bases in case your plan falls through," she explained to Melissa. 

"Maybe we can ask Spike if he knows any Mohras," Dawn chimed in and then shuffled when the others glared at her. "Fine, it was just a suggestion." 

"Forget it, Dawn, the fewer vampires we bring into this the better. Besides, seeing how Spike likes to beat up other demons, we can't necessarily trust him around Melissa," Xander gestured towards the woman who appeared ready to bolt down the basement stairs again.

"There's someone else I can ask." The others stared expectantly as Buffy fell into silence again. Buffy sighed, knowing how little the others would care for this suggestion. "I saw a Mohra demon when I was in Los Angeles. I mean, this was two years ago when I was visiting my father. I stopped in to see Angel and this thing came crashing through the window. Before I could get more than a glimpse at it, Angel had picked up a clock and smashed it in the forehead. It screamed and then exploded in a burst of light. Apparently, these demons are really easy to kill if you know their weak spot."

Melissa frowned. There was obviously something about this Angel that had everyone on edge. She decided against pursuing the point, at least in front of Buffy. She shifted to another tack. "It exploded? But then there'd be no blood left. I couldn't get back my humanity that way. Maybe you should call this Angel and see if there's some way of incapacitating it without delivering the coup de grâce."

"Don't worry. I'll see what he has to tell me about it. He said he'd been catching up on his reading so maybe he knew a lot more about it than he told me." Buffy turned away so the others couldn't see her face. The blood could make a vampire human. Had Angel known that—and deliberately thrown away his chance at humanity? If he had, he wouldn't have told her. [It wouldn't be the first time he kept something from me.]

Melissa's voice cut in on her thoughts. "That's wonderful. You all seem to have this well in hand. I should get going before the sun sets." She peered anxiously outside the window. 

"Wait!" Willow exclaimed. "How do we get in touch with you if we need to?" Melissa wilted. She hadn't thought of that. Sneaking out of the castle just this once had been incredibly risky. It would be suicidal to try it again. Then Willow brightened. "You said you use computers, right?" Melissa nodded, not certain where Willow was headed with this. Willow proudly pulled her laptop out of her knapsack. "You can get in touch with me on this. Just give me your email address..." 

Melissa shook her head emphatically. "Onegin has Yuri check my emails. They want to make sure I'm getting no messages in or out of the castle unless they're strictly business." 

Willow thought for a moment. "That's easy. We'll send in a bogus email that looks harmless—you know, the sort of junk that people get everyday. But we'll use a code word so you'll know it's from me. You'll pretend to dump it but store it somewhere in the system where you can look at it later."

"How about the Scarlet Witch?" Xander lifted his eyebrows at Willow's look. "What? She's a really great comic book character. She's a little like you, Wills. She's got red hair and her magic doesn't always work but she's one of the good guys and I'm just going to stop talking now." 

Melissa smiled at Xander. "The Scarlet Witch works for me. You can even disguise it as an ad to sell comic books online."

Xander hopped up from the table and said, "I'll just drive Melissa back to the castle. Now that we know where it is, I can get her there in no time." 

Melissa quickly warned, "That's great, Xander, but don't get too close to the castle. The minions may be asleep but Yuri occasionally walks around looking out the windows."

"Won't they notice you're not in your room?" 

She shook her head again. "They know I like to take long walks in the sewers, if only to avoid them. Besides, it's daylight outside. Where am I supposed to go? I just don't want them to suspect I've been contacting outside help."

After giving Buffy a quick rundown of where she was certain Onegin's vampires liked to hunt, Melissa donned her coat and drew up her hood. Xander checked outside the Magic Box to see if Spike was still around, although Melissa assured him she couldn't sense his presence. After they bolted out to the car, Buffy turned to the others. "Okay, am I the only one thinking this could all be an elaborate trap?"

Anya nodded in agreement. "Buffy's right. That talk about going through the sewers sounds incredibly risky. What if she warns Onegin and the others about it? We could find ourselves walking into a whole pack of hungry vampires."

Willow pulled on her laptop. "There's one thing we can check about this Melissa Shaw. Let's see if her name comes up anywhere in the local news." She tapped a few keys and peered into the screen. "Oh, look, here's a short article. 'Melissa Shaw, brilliant computer programmer, in town for computer seminar, has been reported as missing by her assistant. The rest of her team is quite agitated as Miss Shaw has always been responsible and dedicated to her work. She was working out of New York and this was her last stop before heading back to the east coast.' There's a picture and a brief description." 

The others crowded around. There was a picture of the vampiress in grainy black and white. She was smiling and looked much as she had when they saw her. Willow continued fiddling with the computer for a little longer and then looked up in disappointment. "That's all it says. The article was posted about two months ago and there's been nothing since. I guess local news doesn't consider it a big topic when a tourist disappears."

Dawn spoke up, "Well, she was telling us the truth about that, anyway. We know we're dealing with a two-month-old fledging, not some age-old badass. I think she's on the level. I mean, if she wanted to kill us, why not just pick us off one by one? This Onegin knows about us—or Buffy, anyway. Melissa was able to find Xander during the daylight. If she's part of some plan by this Russian count….

"Boyar," Anya interrupted.

"Whatever. What I'm trying to say is, this seems like a really complicated plan just to get Buffy." 

"Maybe it's meant to get all of us at once," Tara offered. 

"Oh, come on, Tara, I doubt very much whether we rate highly as threats in the demonic community," Anya scoffed.

"See? And what about that part about becoming human? If she really wants the Slayer dead, why not just bring us to kill Onegin, like Buffy wants? Once she's human, she wouldn't have any reason to kill Buffy. Or us," Dawn finished triumphantly.

Tara shrugged. "Maybe when Buffy speaks to Angel, she can ask him about this Onegin and see what he knows about him. If he's really the sly, devious sort, he'll clue her in." The others looked dubious as if they didn't share her confidence. After a moment, they all turned to the books, digging out information on Mohra demonology.

TBC


	2. Girls' Night Out

Willow was busy working on some of her college homework when she heard a soft beeping from her laptop. She bounded out of bed, causing Tara to look up expectantly. The two girls bent over the console reading the message intently. Willow paled and turned to Tara. "We need to talk to Buffy right away."

Buffy had put in the phone call to Angel earlier, which involved the tense awkwardness that was the hallmark of any conversation they had with each other. She wondered if she'd ever be able to speak to him calmly like a friend. [Yeah, right. It's always soooooooo easy for former lovers to become friends, isn't it?] 

He'd confirmed her meager knowledge of the Mohra and added that the demon's blood needed to seep into a wound or cut on the vampire's body. The hand was preferable but any part would do. She'd restrained herself from asking him how he'd acquired such knowledge and he didn't volunteer the information. She'd also questioned him about Onegin. Not much to her surprise, he'd not only heard of him, he'd actually spent time in his castle over a century ago. The Russian boyar hadn't been particularly cunning, only ruthless, though astonishingly kind when it came to treating his human serfs. He hadn't travel extensively like other vampires, preferring to keep to his ancestral home. He liked wealth, comfort, luxury and demanded absolute loyalty from his vampiric followers. She'd gotten off the phone as quickly as possible, glad of the interruption from Willow and Tara.

"Buffy, there's a problem." Willow outlined the dilemma that had come through the email. Melissa had expressed her distaste at eating the other minions' 'leftovers' (that's how she referred to humans who'd been so badly drained they barely had any blood left in them) and requested that Onegin have pig's blood sent in. Onegin had explained that no one in his castle drank animal blood when there were so many delicious humans to be had for the picking. So he'd scheduled her for her first hunt—and it was tonight. She'd be going out with at least fifteen other vampires, ostensibly for their nightly feeding. But Melissa knew better. They were there to keep an eye on her. 

"What do we do? She told us where the others hunt but that's a lot of ground to cover and there's not enough of us." 

Buffy thought hard for a moment. Then she huffed in exasperation. "We'll have to consult Spike on this one. He may have a better idea of where these particular vampires are likely to be." 

"No, Buffy, wait, you're forgetting the scrying mirror!"

She felt like kicking herself. Of course! The scrying mirror was a new acquisition of Willow's that she'd bought from the Magic Box. All you had to do was look into it and concentrate on the object of your search and it would magically appear. "Let's hope she's someplace with recognizable landmarks." 

Buffy ran to her bedroom and pulled the mirror from her drawer. After talking it over with Willow, it seemed to make more sense for her to keep it since she was the Slayer and needed to know about what was going on in the Hellmouth that was Sunnydale. She stared hard into its depths, recalling the vampire she'd seen in the Magic Box just that afternoon. The mirror's surface clouded and then cleared to reveal Melissa in the midst of a bunch of unfamiliar vamps. She was trying hard to maintain an air of nonchalance but there was a look of barely concealed panic on her face and panning around the area, Buffy saw why. One of the other vamps had captured a young girl, about seventeen by the looks of her. The girl was screaming and twisting in his grip while he bit down savagely into her throat. Buffy got the mirror to move around the area and quickly located the cross streets. She replaced the mirror in the drawer again and conveyed the news. "Got it! Call Xander and Anya and tell them where to meet us and bring plenty of stakes." 

"Shouldn't we bring crossbows with this many vamps?" 

"No, we don't want to take the chance of hitting Melissa." Willow smiled to herself. It sounded as if Buffy might be willing to help the vampiress after all.

"Guys, are you going out on patrol?" 

Buffy hung up the phone and turned to see Dawn staring at her accusingly from the hallway. Buffy glared, "Dawn, what have I told you about spying on us?"

"It's not spying if you leave the door open. Buffy, you can't go out and leave me alone. There's a law against that and you _are_ trying to prove that you're a good parent, aren't you?" Dawn smugly replied. 

Buffy gritted her teeth in annoyance and then answered in a deceptively sweet tone. "That's only for minors, Dawn. You keep telling me you're not a kid. Which is it?" 

"Well, if I'm a kid, I need a babysitter 'cause that's the law. But if I'm an adult, then I'm old enough to go on patrol. So why won't you take me? It's not as if I haven't killed a vamp before."

"Don't remind me, Dawn. That's when you snuck out on Halloween and lied to me and the others about it, remember? Besides, you weren't patrolling. You were going parking with a boy who tried to rip out your throat." 

"God, you're just not going to let it go, are you?" 

"Hey, you're the one who brought it up!" Buffy pulled herself up abruptly. Now was NOT the time to get pulled into another fruitless argument with Dawn. "Dawn, we're going up against a major gang. Just stay here and don't leave the house. Please?" 

When Dawn didn't respond, Buffy decided to play her trump card. She moved closer to her sister and said in a low voice, "Dawn, when I came back from the dead, you said you'd try harder. But lately all we seem to do is fight. How am I supposed to do my job as a Slayer if you make me worry about you all the time?"

The shot hit home. She could see it in the stricken look that appeared in Dawn's face just before it closed off. "Fine," Dawn muttered. "I'll stay home." Stifling a pang of guilt, Buffy snatched up her coat and slammed out the door with the two wiccas.

Melissa found herself in a steadily mounting state of terror. The other vampires had all eaten, leaving various bodies scattered behind them. Corpses had been thrown into dumpsters or chucked into the bushes. They had become impatient with her, egging her on to take a victim. She'd managed to avoid it so far, saying she wanted to see how they managed before she tried. And for the last fifteen minutes, the streets had been mercifully deserted. One of the vampires had jokingly suggested they take to the woods and see if they could catch any teenagers making out. Melissa flinched as a voice suddenly seemed to come out of nowhere.

[MELISSA, CAN YOU HEAR ME? IT'S WILLOW. DON'T TALK OUT LOUD. IT'S A TELEPATHIC LINK. JUST LET ME HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS.]

[WILLOW? MY GOD, HOW ARE YOU DOING THIS? I HAD NO IDEA YOU WERE THIS 

POWERFUL A WITCH.]

[IT'S WICCA, THANK YOU. YOU'RE CLOSE, I CAN TELL. HOW ARE YOU?]

[JUST FINE FOR THE MOMENT, BUT THE OTHERS ARE GETTING IMPATIENT. WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?] The plaintive nature of that question and the obvious fear behind it removed the last of Willow's doubts. This woman was definitely in need of rescuing.

[TARA AND I ARE AROUND THE CORNER ON A BENCH. JUST FOLLOW YOUR NOSE.]

Melissa understood. Using her vampiric senses, she quickly latched onto Willow's scent. [Oh my, the girl smelled like strawberries.] She pointed ahead of her and told the others, "I'm smelling something good. That way." She hoped that sounded sufficiently tough and eager. The other vampires followed her at a lope as she cleared the corner. Then they all stiffened, she in shock, the others with appreciative growls and low whistles. The two girls were sitting on a bench together, kissing and fondling each other, to all appearances totally oblivious to their surroundings.

Tara had initially balked at Willow's plan. Willow had pointed out that lesbians making out was usually a predictable turn-on, even for vampires as old as the ones Melissa had mentioned. It would be a good distraction, giving Buffy and the others a chance to surround the other vamps.

"Great!" one vampire crowed. Idly she remembered that he was Stanley, only about three years old. "A two-for-one! I want a taste of this." 

He moved forward eagerly when one of the others grabbed him. "Don't be greedy, Stan. You already ate. Let's see what Melissa does." 

She hung back a little. "Come on, guys. This is my first hunt. Don't you think it's a little unwise for me to try for two my first time?"

The vampire who'd last spoken rolled his eyes. "They're human _females,_ for Chrissakes. How much of a fight do you think they'll put up? And if they give you any trouble, we'll be right here to help. Now get a move on!" With that, he shoved her roughly towards the two girls.

Melissa advanced nervously. [WILLOW, ARE YOU STILL LISTENING? THEY'RE RIGHT BEHIND ME. IF YOU'RE GOING TO TRY ANYTHING, IT HAD BETTER BE SOON.]

Melissa sauntered up to the two girls, trying to appear casual. "Hello, girls. Lovely couple weather, isn't it?

The two girls jerked apart, apparently taken by surprise. "Geez, lady, we're kinda in the middle of something here. Would you mind moving along?" Willow scowled.

"This is a public area, in case you haven't noticed. If you girls are determined to play slap-and-tickle where anybody can see you, then you should be prepared for the consequences." 

Tara put on a credible sneer. "What are you gonna do? Tell our parents?"

Melissa appeared to think it over for a moment or two. "No, why drag them into it? Besides I want to keep you both for myself." 

Willow and Tara glanced at each other, the very pictures of confusion. "What's that supposed to mean?" Tara squinted. 

Melissa leaned closer, shielding the two briefly from the sight of the other vamps. "I mean, have you ever considered making this a threesome?" 

Tara pulled away, feigning disgust. "Hell no, bitch! We don't even know you." 

Willow tilted her head and gave Melissa a saucy grin. "I don't know, sweetie. You're always telling me to try new things." Over Tara's spluttered protests, she turned back to Melissa and batted her eyes. In spite of the severity of the situation, Melissa had to bite back a giggle at Willow's playacting. "Just what did you have in mind, miss?" 

[GET READY, MELISSA. BUFFY'S CLOSE. BUT THERE'S STILL NO SIGN OF THE OTHERS.]

[SHOULD I CONTINUE TO STALL?]

[YEAH. THEY SHOULD BE HERE ANY MOMENT.] 

Melissa slid between the two girls, draping an arm over both of them. She idly played with Willow's hair. "You know, I've always had a thing for redheads. Shall I start with you?" Willow blinked. She hadn't expected things to go this far. Without warning, she found herself in a passionate embrace as Melissa pulled her close and pressed her mouth over hers. The vampiress teased Willow's lips with her tongue and Willow gave a startled 'mmmph!' as the nimble thing slipped into her mouth. Almost unconsciously, she found herself shifting closer and twining her tongue around Melissa's as the latter moved her hand slowly downwards and started stroking Willow's throat in a sensual caress. 

Abruptly, Melissa's head jerked back and Willow had to stifle a moan of regret as Melissa pulled her hair out of Tara's hand. "Hey, nobody kisses my girl but me!"

Melissa shook her hair and smiled sweetly at the irate blonde. "Aww, what's the matter, cutie? Were you feeling left out? Let me kiss it and make it better." She clasped Tara's hand and tugged her closer.

[GUYS! WE CAN'T WAIT MUCH LONGER. I THINK THE OTHER VAMPS ARE GETTING ANTSY. ARE YOU READY?] The three females jumped as Buffy sprang out from behind the bench, brandishing a stake.

Melissa cowered back and screamed for all she was worth. Buffy whirled in time to face the other demons as they sprang to the attack. Just moments after they appeared, Willow and Tara joined hands and whispered a magical incantation. A ring of scarlet misty flame darted all around the startled vampires and the three girls. The two wiccas smiled in satisfaction while Melissa stared, utterly mystified. [IT'S A SPELL OF PROTECTION. NO VAMPIRE CAN CROSS IT SO THEY'RE ALL LOCKED IN HERE WITH US. THEY CAN'T GET OUT.]

[BUT THAT MEANS THAT I'M TRAPPED HERE, TOO.] 

The two girls stared at each other, chagrined, and then gave her a reassuring smile. [THAT'S OKAY. BUFFY WILL PROTECT YOU.] Melissa appeared less than convinced.

Buffy swiftly staked the first vampire who charged her and two more in quick succession. "Get back! It's the Slayer!" one of the others yelled. "The boss told us to avoid her!" 

"Screw that! She's just one girl. And she's a hell of a lot smaller than Onegin made her out to be." That came from Stanley. Young as he was, he hadn't yet learned the proper fear and boldly decided _he_ would be the one to take her out. What a coup that would be, taking down the Slayer! His over-confidence lasted all of ten seconds as Buffy easily parried his clumsy windmilling blows and staked him. As he crumbled to dust, the other vampires panicked and tried to escape. But the mystical barrier effectively trapped them. After that, Buffy staked them all in swift succession.

A car came screeching to a halt moments later. Anya staggered from inside, hefting an impressive battleaxe. "Hi, everybody! Is there anything we can…..," she paused when Buffy stood up, brushing off the vampire dust clinging to her clothes. "Oh, I guess you took care of them all." 

Buffy glanced at her sarcastically. "Yeah, Anya, glad you could make it. Better late than never, I suppose."

Anya dropped the axe and shrugged. "Well, we would have been here sooner only Xander drives so slowly." 

"Anya, like I kept telling you, I couldn't risk being pulled over for speeding. We'd have had a tough time explaining to the cops why we have a whole arsenal of stakes, axes and swords in the trunk. There's a little law against carrying concealed weapons that we humans have. We're just funny that way." 

"And I kept telling you that if you kept them in the backseat in plain view, they wouldn't be concealed, would they?" 

As Xander and Anya continued to bicker, Buffy walked over to the three women on the bench. "Great going, you two. It worked like a charm." 

The two wiccas beamed with pride, while Melissa stood up slowly, staring at Buffy with awe in her eyes. "That was…fantastic. I mean, Onegin warned us what you were capable of but it didn't really sink in before. You really _are_ the Slayer." Buffy gave an uncertain smile. She'd never had a vampire look at her with such admiration. Not even Angel had been so appreciative.

Melissa looked at the scattered piles of dust on the street and appeared to snap back to reality. "I'd better get going." 

Willow jumped up in dismay. "You're going back now?"

She nodded. "I have to. I'll go to Onegin and tell him the bad news." She put a weepy expression on her face and blubbered, "Onegin! There was nothing I could do. The Slayer, she just came out of nowhere and started murdering us all. It was all I could do to escape." Her face relaxed back into a normal, bland look. She caught everyone choking back sniggers. "What? Too subdued?"

They all broke out laughing. Her good humor seemed infectious. She smiled back, a genuine look of happiness before she sobered again. "I'm off, then." 

Willow caught her hand impulsively. "No, wait, Melissa. You don't need to go back right away. You can tell Onegin that you had to hide from the Slayer and couldn't get back until near dawn." 

Melissa raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I could do that but why stick around?"

Buffy replied, "I spoke to Angel. He gave us instructions about the Mohra and you should be prepared. Besides, if we stay here on the street discussing it, we're bound to attract attention. Xander, think we can all fit in your car?"

Xander counted heads. "One large powerful male and five small females. It'll be a tight fit but, yep, I think we can squeeze you all in. Hop aboard, ladies." Melissa smiled at the description of herself as "small" and pushed herself into the backseat.

Buffy and the others were glad to get back to the Summers' residence. On the drive over, Anya had kept up a running commentary about some of Buffy's past exploits including Spike's fairly recent involvement with the little group. Melissa had listened wide-eyed to tales of his exploits and some of his major gaffs. But when the ex-demon started delving into the touchy topic of Buffy's resurrection, it had taken some harsh whisperings from Xander and cold glares from the others to shut her up.

"So you're telling me that Spike has a chip in his head that keeps him from hurting humans?"

"Yep, courtesy of the Initiative." At Melissa's worried look, Anya hastened to reassure her. "Don't worry about them. They got attacked by a whole lot of demons and some Frankenstein freak named Adam. Buffy and the others helped destroy the demons and saved the Initiative so they cleared out of town. No one's seen them since." 

Melissa sagged in relief. "That's great. I've got enough to worry about without dodging some covert paramilitary group in khakis. But that still doesn't explain why Spike hangs around all of you. Xander said he was a reluctant ally. Why would he help the Slayer at all? Especially if her ex-boyfriend was one of the people who tagged him?" By this time, they were walking up the driveway and preparing to go inside the house.

"He's got a crush on Buffy." 

"Anya!" 

She threw up her hands in exasperation. "What? It's not as if it's a big secret. Besides, if she insists on getting Buffy's help, she's going to run into Spike sooner or later. It's best if she knows the score. And I don't see how it matters, anyway. Buffy doesn't return Spike's feelings but it keeps him in line and makes him occasionally useful."

Melissa's lips twitched again, a gesture the others were beginning to recognize. "A vampire in love with a Slayer. That's so….romantic." She was standing on the doorstep. "I'll bet that doesn't happen too often."

"More often than you would imagine, luv." The familiar hateful drawl came from the couch as the others stepped inside. They all halted as they saw Spike stretching his feet out on the floor from where he sat on the couch.

"Spike, what are you going here?" Buffy said coldly. 

Spike got up and sauntered over to them. "I thought someone should check up on Dawn. I did promise to look after her and it turns out you lot had left her on her lonesome. Shame on you, Slayer. You know you're supposed to be looking after her. Now who's your new friend?" He eyed Melissa as she stood on the doorstep. In the general atmosphere of annoyance that Spike always seemed to create, Buffy had forgotten to invite her in and now she hovered outside, turning away from Spike's penetrating stare.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Melissa. Come in." 

Spike blocked her path before she could move. "Now hang on a minute! Since when do you just invite strange vamps into the house?" 

Buffy rolled her eyes at the others. "Geez, I don't know, Spike. We've had all sorts of undead guests in here. Let's see, in descending order of importance, there was Angel, Darla, Dracula, Harmony and you. What's one more walking corpse compared to all of them?"

Spike glowered at being put last on the list. "Yeah, well, what do you know about this bint? You gonna bring her in here with the Little Bit?"

"Actually, we know quite a bit about her, Toothless. She's a fledgling killed just two months ago and now she's trying to regain her humanity, which is a big plus in my book. Besides, Dawn's already met her. Now step aside. The lady was invited."

Buffy turned to Dawn. "Why'd you let him in here, anyway?" 

"God, Buffy, I didn't think you were still mad at him. Besides, he said he wanted to see how I was. He didn't mention you at all." Dawn finished up with more than a hint of satisfaction. Actually, that hadn't been quite true. Spike had asked where Buffy was but since Dawn didn't have any definite information and hadn't wanted to tell Spike about Melissa, she'd shrugged and said she didn't know. She thought Spike was way too hung up on her sister, anyway. Didn't he see the sun didn't rise and set on Buffy?"

Melissa stepped inside hesitantly. "I miss that." As the others stared quizzically at the soft statement, she elaborated, "I mean, I miss being able to come and go in people's houses. I used to take it for granted—like a lot of other things. It seems strange to run up against invisible barriers placed against my…kind." 

She grimaced at the last word and started to shrug off her coat. The Scooby gang gaped at her attire. Unlike the conservative clothes she'd been wearing earlier, she was now clad in a tight top with a form-fitting leather corset and a flared dark-red leather hip-hugging skirt that was slit on the side almost up to her thigh. Following their eyes, she hastily pulled the coat closed. "Onegin thought since I was finally becoming more vampire-like in my behavior, I should start dressing the part. He said these clothes were very expensive and would be more becoming to my figure than the drab stuff I'd been wearing." She pulled a moue and said, "Who knew it cost so much money to look so cheap?"

"I don't know, pet. You're looking all right in it," Spike leered. 

She turned and swept a swift glance up and down his body. "Yes, I supposed you'd think so since you dress like a male hustler." As everybody else laughed, she threw them a quick grin. "What is it with vampires and leather? I've been a fledge for two months and I don't feel this overwhelming urge to dress myself in dead cowhide. What's the appeal?"

Spike smirked. "It makes you took tough. And humans find the look sexy." 

Melissa arched an eyebrow. "What, even the ones whose tastes tend to silk, satin or rubber? Besides, _you_ don't look tough—Spike, is it? You look _gay."_

Xander snorted as Spike snapped in indignation. "What the hell are you talking about?" 

Melissa shrugged. "Relax. I didn't say you _were_ gay. I said you _looked_ gay. You know—the English accent, the hair, the nails, the oversized leather coat in eighty-degree heat. You look like one of those leather fags I used to see on Christopher Street when I was working out of New York."

Spike growled, "This look is _punk,_ you dumb cow. It's got nothing to do with being gay." 

Melissa turned away, losing interest in the conversation. "Really? I don't know too many straight men who dye their hair and paint their fingernails. Look, just because you were turned in the seventies doesn't mean you have to keep dressing like that. It really dates you. In fact, I'm surprised more people haven't caught on to Onegin, he's so insistent on maintaining some of his old traditions. I mean, who uses samovars to make tea anymore?"

"I was NOT turned in the seventies. I'm over one-hundred-twenty-five years old, I'll have you know." Spike was really starting to dislike this woman. She'd gotten over her initial fear of him and now seemed more bored by his presence than anything else. How come she didn't know about him and his fearsome reputation? When he saw Buffy bringing her a mug of blood warm from the microwave, he shouted, "Oy, that's MY blood!"

Buffy glared at him. "No, Spike. We keep the blood as a favor to you. Since we're the ones who actually have to keep it in our freeze next to our food, it's our blood and we can do what we like with it." 

Melissa had reached out eagerly towards the mug but now she dropped her hand. "I'd better not."

"Damn straight, you'd better not, you bint." 

Ignoring him, she spoke directly to Buffy. "This night was to have been my first hunt. I can't go back to Onegin smelling like pig's blood when I'm supposed to have been chewing on humans. He'll be suspicious enough as it is." 

Buffy frowned in realization at this admission. "Right. I'll just put this back in the freezer then."

"Oy, how about letting me have it?" Buffy grudgingly handed it over to him as he slouched back to the couch, eyeing Melissa over the rim. "So, you're one of Onegin's crew, are you?"

"Yes," she replied warily. 

"He must have told you about me, then."

Melissa gazed blankly at him. "No, he never mentioned you." Turning away in an obvious gesture of dismissal, she settled in one of the easy chairs. "So what did Angel have to say about the Mohra?"

"He told me that smashing the jewel is the _permanent_ way of killing the Mohra. But running swords through them, staking them, shooting them, breaking their necks, etc., kills them temporarily until they recuperate. The blood running in their veins gives them the same kind of healing powers that vampires have. Unlike vampires, they come back bigger and stronger, so we have to be prepared to take this guy down before he recovers. So while he's down for the count, you slice him and get the blood. You only need a little and then you just pour it into a cut or wound in your body. You can use your hand if you like."

The vampiress bounced up and down a little in excitement. "Well, that sounds easy enough. If this works, give this Angel of yours my thanks, won't you?" 

Buffy stared at the floor for a moment then looked up, as if she'd been thinking of something else. "Yeah, whatever."

Spike felt distinctly left out of the conversation. He'd never heard of Mohras but they were obviously important to the vampire bint. She'd enlisted the help of Buffy and her little gang of superfriends and now they were treating her as if she were a member of the family. Whatever they were planning, they'd been doing it without his help. They'd even consulted Angel behind his back! He decided it was time to push his way back into the inner circle. "You're trying to regain your humanity? What for? Being a vamp's a great life."

Melissa looked at him, repelled. "It's not a life if you're not living. Besides, what's so great about it?"

"You can go wherever you like and no one can touch you."

"You can go where you like at _night_ unless you want to turn to ashes."

"You don't have to pay rent, gas, heating or water bills."

"That's right, because most vampires stay in crypts and sewers. Before I was turned, I had no problem paying my bills.

"Nobody gives you any trouble."

"Nobody gave me any trouble until I was dead and then I knew plenty. I'd show the whip marks on my back if they hadn't healed. I'm sure you had your share of blows when you were a fledgling."

"Once you toughen up, you'll leave all that behind you. And you've got an eternity to do it."

"Oh, yes, an eternity to watch everything and everybody I've ever loved die. And I get to spend it with jackasses like Onegin. No, thank you."

"You can always leave him if you get tired of it. You could leave tonight if you liked. In fact, what's stopping you?"

Xander interrupted, "Why don't _you_ leave tonight, Sparky? It's not as if we'd miss you. I'll even buy you plane tickets to South America. Maybe you'll catch up with Drusilla again."

"Onegin demands absolute loyalty from his followers. He destroyed my credit cards, my driver's license and every piece of I.D. I possessed. I've no cash and no money. How am I supposed to get out of town on nothing? And if I try to leave, he'll send someone after to bring me back and punish me. Probably Yuri." Melissa shrank back into her chair as a cloud flitted over her eyes. Whatever Yuri had done to her, the bitter memory of it still lingered. 

Tara walked over to her and patted her back awkwardly. Melissa smiled at her gratefully and then glared at Spike. "You know what? I'm not going to have this discussion again. It's the same one I had with Onegin's gang of bloodsuckers and it never gets me anywhere. You're happy to be a bloodrat. I'm not. End of argument." 

She stood up, obviously agitated by the pointless debate. "You've all been a tremendous help to me but I really should be going. Thank you for inviting me into your home, Buffy. It's been an honor to have been taken under the aegis of a Slayer. Human or not, I really appreciate what you've done for me so far. I just wish there was some way I could repay you all. Especially this Angel."

"Yeah, you'd love Angel, what with his silly soul and all." 

Melissa threw a look in Spike's direction. "I take it Spark…I mean, Spike, also knows this Angel?"

Spike gave the others a nasty smile. "Oh, didn't the others mention it? Angel and I go _way_ back. When he lost his soul after a one-night shag with Buffy here, he killed one of her friends, a Miss Jenny Calendar, right? Buffy had to stick a sword in him and send him to hell. Terrible blow it was to them, I 'spect." He shook his head in mock sorrow. "But after he came back from the underworld, his soul all restored, they patched things up and let bygones be bygones. Isn't that right, folks?"

Melissa looked around the room. There it was, that tension she'd noted whenever Angel's name was spoken, now considerably higher than it was before. "I don't understand. What's this about his losing a soul? And he murdered a friend of yours?"

"They didn't tell you that, either? Angel was once known as Angelus before some gypsies cursed him with a soul. They attached this little clause about him losing it if he knew a moment of happiness and I guess rolling in the sack with Buffy was enough to do the job." 

Buffy stalked over to Spike with clenched fists. The potential violence was suddenly broken when Melissa cried, "Hold it! Did you say 'Angelus?'" The others stared at her in confusion. "Oh, I remember Onegin talking about _him._ He's the only vampire Onegin ever spoke of with respect. He says Angelus visited him over a century ago."

Buffy turned from Spike with an effort. "Yeah, that's what Angel said when I spoke to him."

"Onegin threw his castle open to Angelus and his family of vampires. He extended him every bit of Eastern hospitality. He admired Angelus's ruthlessness, his elegance in killing, his cunning. Frankly, I couldn't have cared less. I usually don't mind hearing about ancient history. But when vampires talk about the past, it's always about how many people they killed, where, when, how. Do you know how boring it is to have to listen to stories that all have the same ending? But he said he was a little amused by Angelus's squeamishness when it came to feeding on his thralls. Angelus preferred the thrill of the hunt. Feeding on passive, willing humans just didn't do it for him."

Dawn spoke up. "What's a thrall?"

"You know, it's what Dracula turned Xander into when he was here in Sunnydale." 

"Anya, how would you like it if I told everyone who came into our lives how you used to be a murderous demon?"

Melissa blinked a moment as if absorbing this news then continued. "Anyway, this Angelus he described seemed like a big loser when he was human just like his extended family. His Sire was an ex-hooker, Angelus was an Irish brawler given to whoring and drinking. He turned some mad English cow who used to drive Onegin nuts babbling about the stars talking to her and she turned some fifth-rate hack of an English poet named Something-the-Bloody."

"William the Bloody," Anya said matter-of-factly. 

Melissa brightened. "Yes, that was it. How did you know?"

All eyes turned to Spike who seemed suddenly intent on avoiding everybody's gaze. There was a moment of stunned silence and then Melissa whooped, "YOU'RE WILLIAM THE BLOODY?!?" Suddenly she was laughing her head off.

Spike was furious. "That was a hell of a long time ago. It's _Spike_ now and don't you forget it!"

She was clearly unimpressed. "So what? Spike is a dog's name. Just ask Joan Rivers."

Buffy smirked. "You were a _poet?_ What was all that crap you told me about how bad you always were?"

Xander crowed, "I don't believe it. The Former-Big-Bad writing poetry. Well, I guess there had to be a reason for Drusilla hanging around with you. She always was crazed as a loon." 

Dawn glared at him. "Don't listen to them, Spike. I think it's kinda romantic. How come I never heard of you, though?"

"Like Onegin said, sweetie, he was a lousy poet. If he'd lived, he would have died in obscurity and nobody would have known about him. He did what all vampires do. He remade himself, gave himself a new look, new name, different accent and turned himself into a bloodthirsty killer." Melissa shrugged. "Angelus and his family are prime examples of what happens to pathetic jerks when they become vampires. They strive to bury everything in their human past and turn all their efforts to the only things that distinguish vampires: cruelty and bloodshed."

"Speak for yourself, luv. I became a killer because that's my nature."

Melissa narrowed her eyes. "That's not what Onegin said." Spike growled, dangerously close to losing his temper. Melissa either didn't recognize the signs or didn't care. 

"I thought you said Onegin never mentioned me." 

"He never mentioned a _Spike._ That's why I didn't make the connection. According to Onegin, it seems our dear William here was an English gentleman, as tony and refined as they come."

"Spike was a gentleman?" Buffy settled into the easy chair Melissa had abandoned and leaned forward. "Oh, I can't wait to hear this."

"He was born William Hargreaves. He was quite a kind soul, actually. But then he found himself thrown into a trio of some of the most vicious vampires ever to walk the face of the earth, one of them known as the Scourge of Europe. He had to re-make himself into a tough guy just in order to survive and crawl out from under Angelus's considerable shadow. William's sire probably subjected him to the same brutal treatment I got to 'toughen him up' as I believe he put it." She glanced at Spike and for the first time there was a trace of sympathy in her look. "Onegin said that underneath William's bravado was a desperate desire to please and make a reputation for himself. Onegin thought it was very cute."

"CUTE?!? He thought I was CUTE?!" Spike roared. He could tell by the smothered sounds coming from the others that they were getting ready to laugh again. There was no way he was going to let this slide. "He didn't think it was so cute when I started making inroads into the local population, did he?"

Melissa allowed a slow smile to curve over her face. "That's right. Onegin had a long-standing pact with his human villagers. He protected them in exchange for some of their sons and daughters."

Willow gaped in shock. "They sold their _children_ to him?" 

"Oh, no, I'm not talking about babies or infants. They'd hold lots for giving him some of their grown offspring. Onegin had dozens of thralls that he'd taken in conquest and trade. When the villagers gave him an occasional child, it was considered a kind of honor. They knew their sons and daughters would be given every luxury. They would eat well and live like royalty and the family would be well compensated for their loss. In return, Onegin saw to it that none of his vampires killed anyone except traveling merchants and tourists. It was an equitable arrangement all around, one that he'd carefully explained to Angelus and his brood when he offered them the thralls."

Xander observed, "I take it Chips Ahoy here didn't stick to the rules." 

Melissa nodded happily. "Yeah, that's why this story stuck in my mind. I like any tale that has Onegin getting the short end of the stick. It seems that ole Willy here started noshing on the locals. They didn't take too kindly to it; in the end he and the others were run out of town by angry, torchbearing, crossbow-waving serfs. The way Onegin described it, it was like something out of the original Frankenstein movie.

"Onegin knew about that, did he?" Spike scowled. 

Melissa gave him a cool look. "Knew about it? He _arranged_ it. Why do you think the castle gates were locked when you tried to get back inside?"

Spike stared in steadily mounting fury. Then he ground out. "I knew it. I told Angelus the bastard had set us up. He just said I'd been careless and the natives had found out what I was up to. He insisted on blaming me for it. He said if I'd only kept my hands off the townsfolk, we would have been fine. But, hell, we're vampires! We don't obey the rules! We break them!"

"Onegin's a vampire, too. He had his home and other vampires to protect. He couldn't risk their safety over a foreign troublemaker who couldn't obey the laws of hospitality. Face it, you got what was coming to you."

That was it. Spike had had enough of this vampire bitch withering him with her barely veiled pity and amused contempt and uncovering the past that he'd rather stayed buried. He moved in such a blur the others never saw it. Thrusting his face into hers, he snarled in a low menacing tone, "And if you got what was coming to you, the Slayer would have staked you the minute she saw you. And if she won't, I'll be happy to do the honors."

Willow snapped, "Separate," and Spike found himself flying through the air. 

Landing hard near the couch, Xander ran over to him and hauled him up. "Keep your hands off her, you rotten poet. She's welcome here. You're not. As long as you got that chip in your head, any one of us can kick your ass."

Melissa placed a restraining hand on Xander's arm. "It's okay, Xander. I've only been undead for two months but I've never met a single vampire who wasn't a bullying, sadistic thug. And a coward at heart." She paused then shrugged. "Why should ole Willy boy here be any different?"

"That's SPIKE to you, you cow."

"Down, boy." 

At this pointed reference to a canine, the tense mood dissolved again and Xander pulled Spike towards the door. "Once again, you've managed to wear out your welcome, Sparky. Hit the road."

Spike shrugged off Xander's hands and shook his head with disgust. He yanked open the door but couldn't resist a final parting shot as he left. "Didn't you idiots learn anything from Angelus? You don't know this creature and she ain't chipped like me. She'll betray the whole lot of you…."

"Like you did when you sided with Adam against us?" Buffy stared coldly at Spike, daring him to deny it. "We forgave you for that, Spike, goodness knows why. You certainly didn't deserve it. Now take Xander's suggestion and get out of this house." 

Melissa spoke up again. "I might as well go, too. I have to get my story straight before I see Onegin."

Xander ran for the door. "I'll drive you back, Melissa. There are nasty things crawling around in Sunnydale. Wouldn't want you falling victim to any of them." Giving Spike a pointed look, he walked Melissa past him and escorted her to the car. Anya quickly followed, determined not to leave her husband-to-be alone for a minute with this demonic creature. 

Melissa turned to her and murmured, "So, what's this about Buffy and Angelus?"

TBC


	3. I Spy

The next morning seemed almost deceptively mild. It was always that way in Sunnydale. No matter what horrors had been perpetrated the night before, the citizens always greeted each new day with blissfully oblivious minds. The Scoobies didn't know how these people could go about their mundane existences willfully blind to all the bizarre happenings in their fair town.

Willow had opened her laptop at every opportunity between classes, desperately hoping for a message from Melissa that indicated she was all right. Even if she got one, how would she know it was from her? Maybe Onegin or one of the other minions had caught her in the act. Maybe Onegin hadn't believed her story about the Slayer _accidentally_ finding last night's vampire posse. Maybe he'd decided he didn't need her services anymore and dusted her. Shaking off such negative thoughts, Willow continued to keep an eye out and hoped.

Finally, after her last class, she came upon a message. Melissa had told Onegin about the Slayer's attack, describing how she'd watched in horror as vamp after vamp fell to her merciless onslaught. She'd pointed out that, as a mere fledgling, she hadn't felt she stood a chance against such a ruthless being when so many more experienced vamps were being so easily slaughtered. So she ran for her unlife. She'd begged him not to send her out again. She hated being a vampire but now she was truly scared to die. While she was arguing with him, the paper about the Mohra demon had fallen out of her pocket. She'd tried to snatch it up but Yuri had been quicker. 

When he'd handed it to Onegin, he'd asked why she was researching demon assassins. She'd told him how she'd heard they could be hired to take out warriors for good, like the Slayer. But she didn't know how to hire one and since Onegin had been avoiding the Slayer anyway, telling him about it seemed a moot point. He'd studied the paper for a long time and then pocketed it himself. Nodding to Yuri, they'd retired into their study. She'd tried to listen in but they had been talking in Russian. That was all she knew about it.

"So that's it, Buffy. She doesn't know whether they're hiring the Mohra or not. Only that they've got the paper and started talking about it." 

Buffy slouched at the kitchen table and sighed. "This is so frustrating. You know, I don't really care for this plan of hers. She said it was simple. But to me simplicity is just finding the bad vamps, killing the bad vamps and going home afterwards. This is taking way too long. Something's bound to go wrong."

"What do you mean, it's taking too long? Buffy, you only met this woman yesterday afternoon. Since when did you become so impatient about facing evil?" Buffy shrugged her shoulders. She couldn't tell Willow why she felt so irritable. The proximity of vampires gave her the cramps and she hadn't like being around Melissa one moment more than she had to be. "Besides, Buffy, this isn't just about staking vamps. This is about saving a soul. This woman wants her humanity back. Think how you'd be acting if this were Angel's humanity at stake."

Buffy was silent for so long Willow was afraid she'd overstepped her bounds. Then she sighed, "I guess you're right, Wills. I don't know why I'm so…unsympathetic. I just can't seem to help it. With Giles gone and Spike sniffing around my heels…."

"Like a puppy?" Willow threw in. 

Buffy smiled, "Exactly. Just like a puppy. I just feel wound way too tightly and waiting was never my strong point and talking to Angel was really difficult and taking care of Dawn is such a chore….."

"Whoah, Buffy. I'm the one who's supposed to babble in this relationship, remember? Besides, you're not alone in this. You still have all of us." 

"Yeah, but for how much longer? You guys are going on with your lives while I feel as if I'm standing still. You've got Tara. Xander's going to marry Anya. Giles has gone back to England, leaving me without a Watcher. I've got Dawn but she seems to be slipping farther away from me every day. Soon I'll be alone again and lone Slayers usually die. I've already cheated Death three times now. I get the terrible feeling I'm living on borrowed time."

"Buffy, you've got us. We brought you back. Right or wrong, that's what we did. So now, we're not just your responsibility. In some weird way, you're ours. And if there's one thing you taught us, it's to take care of our responsibilities." 

Buffy gave Willow a weary smile. The two girls sat and hugged each other in silence.

"Hey, can anyone join in or is this something Willow should be discussing with Tara?" The two girls looked up to see Dawn standing in the doorway. They eased apart and Willow filled Dawn in on the latest developments. The redhead knew that Dawn often felt excluded from Slayer business and told Buffy it was a good idea to include her, at least on some things. If Dawn thought she was actually contributing something, perhaps she would be easier to handle. Besides, she needed to know the dangers that lay out there in Sunnydale. Vampires weren't the worst of it.

"So we don't know if the Mohra is being hired or not." Willow flashed a thought at Buffy. [TIME TO CONSULT THE SCRYING MIRROR.] 

Giving no sign that she'd heard, Buffy slid off the kitchen stool and wandered over to the fridge. "I'm sure if a demon looking like that comes into Sunnydale, we'll know about it. Creatures that ugly must have a hard time keeping a low profile. The one that came crashing through Angel's window in broad daylight certainly lacked subtlety." 

Dawn jumped. "Can we expect something like that? I mean, is this thing suddenly going to come leaping on top of us when we're not ready for it?"

Buffy turned around, having pulled some bread and jelly from the fridge. "No way, Dawn. We'll keep a sharp lookout. If we have to, we'll even ask Spike if he's seen anything." Noting Willow's grimaces, she sighed. "Yeah, I know. It's a bad situation, always having to rely on him for news, but he'll have to do until something better comes along."

After downing sandwiches and talking about Dawn's schoolday between bites, Buffy and Willow were glad to duck into her room. Being careful to wedge the door shut against prying sisters, Buffy pulled the scrying mirror from her drawer. After debating with Willow, they'd decided it would draw more attention to the mirror if she locked the drawer than if she didn't, so she'd thrown in some makeup tools like brushes, lip gloss, nail polish and nail files to make it seem like an ordinary mirror. Willow had gotten the idea from some story she'd read by Edgar Allen Poe. She concentrated on the mirror and remembered Melissa.

The brunette vampire was sleeping in a narrow bed in a room devoid of anything but the barest necessities. But how to find out about the Mohra? Buffy frowned and then tried again. This time she tried to focus on the face she'd seen on that paper, the demon she'd glimpsed for only a moment in Angel's office. The mirror fogged over but this time refused to cooperate. Maybe the thought she had was too vague. She was thinking of these demons in general not one demon in particular. 

She could try to find Onegin. If he'd contacted the demon, that would be the surest path to it. She thought of Melissa again and was once more in that bare room. Concentrating, she pulled the view out of the room and found herself in a hallway. She recognized the large room she'd been in when she had fought Dracula. It took several more minutes and unrewarding views of vampires either sleeping off heavy meals or rutting like animals in the corners. 

A few seemed to match Melissa's description of Onegin, but Buffy doubted he'd be keeping company with his minions. Just when she was about to give up, she came to a room that was easily the most opulent that Buffy had seen. There were thick velvet hangings completely obscuring the windows and what looked like family crests and various weapons hanging on the walls. There were only two occupants in the room, both of them lying on the bed.

She couldn't see much of the vampire on the bed—only that he was having sex with some dark-haired boy. As Buffy's shock mounted, she watched as he sank his fangs into the boy's neck. The boy gave only a gurgling moan as his hips pumped faster and then he screamed as his final orgasm hit. Steeling herself against the horror of it, she watched as the naked vampire rose the bed, ignoring the boy as if he were of no further consequence. The body lay flung out on the bed in the final throes of death and orgasm and Buffy could see it was already turning blue from the blood loss. Willow made a strangled sound and Buffy started. In the shock of the moment, she'd forgotten the other girl was watching.

The blonde vampire opened the door and a big burly vampire stepped in. He had to tower over the other vampire by at least a foot and a half but his attitude was one of complete deference. The other gestured at the body and said something in Russian. Buffy didn't understand a word except "Yuri." So this was the four-hundred-year-old vampire. That meant the blonde had to be Onegin. 

Without hesitation, Yuri slung the body over one massive shoulder and moved from the room. Onegin threw on a silk robe and moved to a phone. He picked it up and punched in a number that Buffy couldn't see. He spoke heatedly on the phone for several minutes in Russian. Buffy cursed her inability to understand foreign languages. Not for the first time since he left, she wished heartily for Giles' knowledge and expertise. Damn it, she needed her Watcher!

Onegin finished his phone call and slammed down the receiver. Evidently, not everything had gone to his liking. He called out sharply for Yuri again. When the huge vampire reappeared again, sans body, Onegin chattered to him and this time Buffy clearly heard the word "Mohra." This had to be what she was waiting for! Onegin picked up the phone again and this time pressed two numbers. When Melissa came running in, Onegin gazed at her blandly.

"My dear, I'd like you to have $5,000,000 in cash transferred from my Swiss bank account."

"Yes, Onegin." Melissa kept her eyes firmly on the floor.

"Don't you want to know what the money is for?"

"No, Onegin."

"Very good of you. You're turning into a fine little minion. But I'll tell you anyway since you gave me the idea. It's payment for the Mohra. Demons are getting quite mercenary these days and since I'm well known and have the reputation of being a wealthy man, this one thinks he can milk me for all I'm worth. But if it rids me of the Slayer, I'll consider it money well spent. I'd have it kill the Slayer and then have Yuri dispatch it but the creature is wily. It insists on having all the money up front. It won't even agree to the deal unless I agree to meet it near dawn. It probably feels it will be easier to escape from us if we choose to strike." 

He paused, tapping one long fingernail on the desk. [Goodness, Melissa's right. This guy definitely needs to get those things cut down to size.]

Leaning forward suddenly, he pinned Melissa with a steely stare. "Now tell me again what happened last night. Why did the Slayer take it into her head to show up in a neighborhood where she rarely patrols?" When Melissa hesitated, Yuri grabbed her by the back of the neck and squeezed hard, forcing her to her knees. She cried out from the pain while Onegin gazed over her head.

"I swear, Onegin, I don't know. I told you, I saw two pretty humans on a bench. They were female and I don't care for them. But you'd told me that I had to get over such s-s-stupid human inhibitions. They looked young and small so I thought I could take them. I told them they shouldn't be doing their business in public if they didn't want to be disturbed and the cheap-looking blonde turned to the brunette and told her they should have stayed at The Bronze. Just as I was moving in for the kill, the Slayer came out of nowhere. There was nothing I could do!" She ended this confession practically on a scream and the two watching girls thought they could hear bones grinding under Yuri's hand.

Onegin held up one small hand and Yuri instantly released his grip. "I believe you, my little programmer. One fledgling is no match against a powerful Slayer. And you didn't even get to feed." 

Melissa blinked away tears as she staggered upright. "I really liked the brunette, too. She smelled sweet, like strawberries." 

Onegin cocked his head in an almost playful manner. "Perhaps you'll get a second chance at her." Melissa once again stared at the floor but Buffy could sense a new tension about her. What was Onegin up to?

"You say the blonde mentioned a place called The Bronze?" Melissa nodded. Onegin quirked an eyebrow at Yuri but the huge vampire shrugged his shoulders; he'd obviously never heard of the place. "Call one of the younger minions." 

While the vampires in the room waited, Buffy glanced at Willow. "Buffy, why'd she mention a brunette? And Tara and I never said anything about The Bronze."

"I think she's trying to mislead him. If he's had people following us, then he might have recognized a description of you and Tara. Maybe talking about The Bronze is meant to pull some more vamps into another trap. After all, we do go there a lot."

Both girls' attentions returned to the mirror as a minion of about twenty-two swaggered into the room. He halted at the sight of Onegin who kept his eyes fastened on Melissa like a cobra watching a bird. "You there—Thomas, is it?" 

"It's Crusher, now." 

"Of course. Crusher, have you ever heard of a place called The Bronze?"

Crusher gave a feral grin. "Sure! It's a club, a real hotspot for the kids in this town. There's lots of prime pickings there. At least that's what I've heard."

Onegin at last looked at him. "You've never been there?" 

Crusher faltered, "No, of course not, boss. Everybody knows that's where the Slayer frequently hangs out and you told us to stay clear of her stomping grounds." 

"Very good, Crusher. Tell me the address of this club and you may go." As the minion slunk out of the room, Onegin turned another thoughtful look on Melissa. 

"Well, since you missed your chance to feed last night, you shall try again tonight. You'll go to this club and try to find your sweet-smelling brunette." 

Melissa appeared to grow even paler, if that was possible. "No, Onegin, I can't. You told us…I mean, I heard what Crusher said. The Slayer hangs out there!"

"Precisely. What better way to prove your mettle and your loyalty than to snatch prey right from under her nose as it were?" Onegin bestowed a smile that might have seemed kind if not for the fangs that manifested themselves. "You'd better return with human blood in your belly and the smell of human blood on your breath. If not, I'll start to think you've been feigning your commitment to our group." He paused for emphasis and his voice came out in a low growl. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Onegin." He sent her from his presence with a casual wave of his hand. Melissa hurried out as if a stake had been aimed at her back. He stared at Yuri and they gabbled together again in Russian. Realizing they'd learned all they could, the two girls moved back from the mirror.

"She's going to be at The Bronze tonight. We have to meet her." 

"And then what, Willow? You heard him. He wants her to kill somebody." 

"No, he wants her to smell of human blood. It's possible for her to feed and not drain a human completely, isn't it? I mean, that's the whole point of having thralls around, isn't it?"

Buffy frowned. What was Willow getting at? Willow tripped over her words in her hurry to explain. "Look, remember that vampire den you burned down last year? What if we found one of those and took her to it instead? Then she wouldn't have to kill anyone." 

Willow faltered as she saw Buffy's lips tighten a fraction. It was apparent that she still had bad memories of that night. Then Buffy curtly nodded. "All right. Anya knew about these things when I mentioned it. Let's see if she can tell us of a place. I really don't want to explain to Spike why we'd need to know about it."

Melissa stood uncertainly at the bar. All around her she could smell live young human flesh, hear strong heartbeats and the rush of human blood in their veins. She hadn't been in such a sea of humanity since she'd been turned. The sensory overload made her feel almost nauseous. 

[MELISSA, CAN YOU STILL HEAR ME?] 

[WILLOW!] Melissa felt overjoyed at hearing the redhead's mental voice. 

[OUCH. NO NEED TO SHOUT. I CAN HEAR YOU JUST FINE.] Melissa looked around and saw Willow sitting alone at a table. The redhead waved in her direction.

[I'M SO GLAD TO SEE YOU. I'M IN ANOTHER TERRIBLE MESS, I'M AFRAID.]

[YEAH, WE KNOW.]

[WE? ARE YOU HERE WITH TARA? AND HOW DID YOU KNOW?] 

[I HAVE MY WAYS.] Melissa could almost hear the soft smile in Willow's thoughts. [TARA'S NOT HERE. SHE'S HOME BABYSITTING DAWN AND KEEPING HER OUT OF TROUBLE. I'M HERE WITH BUFFY, ANYA AND XANDER. HE FEELS BAD BECAUSE HE MISSED COMING TO YOUR RESCUE LAST NIGHT AND WANTS TO MAKE UP FOR IT.]

[WILLS, HOW ABOUT LETTING ME SPEAK FOR MYSELF?] 

[XANDER, IS THAT YOU?]

[IN THE FLESH, SO TO SPEAK. LISTEN, WE KNOW ALL ABOUT ONEGIN'S PLAN FOR YOU. WE FOUND OUT ABOUT A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN FEED. HUMANS GO THERE TO PAY VAMPIRES TO FEED ON THEM.]

[REALLY? WHY WOULD ANY HUMAN SUBJECT THEMSELVES TO THAT WHEN THEY DON'T HAVE TO? ONEGIN'S THRALLS WERE ALWAYS TAKEN IN CAPTURE OR GIVEN UP AS PRIZES.] 

[THESE HUMANS LIKE THE RUSH, THE PHYSICAL THRILL OF LETTING VAMPIRES FEED FROM THEM. IT'S LIKE AN ADDICTION.] 

[YOU MEAN, IT'S A VAMPIRE CRACK DEN? WEIRD. BUT I'M GAME IF I DON'T HAVE TO KILL ANYBODY.]

[GREAT. GO WAIT THERE AT THE ENTRANCE.] Melissa sighed in relief then felt a frisson of fear come over her. There was someone close, someone….

[WILLOW, WAIT!] The stark terror of that call stopped all of them short. 

[MELISSA, WHAT IS IT? WHAT'S WRONG?]

[IT'S ONEGIN. HE'S NEAR, I CAN FEEL HIM.] 

[ARE YOU SURE?] That hard thought came from Buffy. Melissa was beginning to distinguish between their thought patterns. They were as distinctive as speech. She could even sense the emotions behind each thought.

[HE'S MY SIRE. I CAN ALWAYS FEEL WHEN HE'S IN THE VICINITY. HE'S FOLLOWED ME.] 

They almost staggered under the wave of despair that came from her. [GET TO THE NEAREST EXIT.] 

The vampire looked frantically around her and saw a door leading to the alley. Rushing towards it, she collided with Xander. "Uhhfff! Hey, slow down! I'm right with you. Come on."

"Where's Buffy?"

"She's probably scouting through the club. Don't worry. If she sees Onegin, she'll dust him so fast he won't know it until he's looking up from the floor."

They exited through the door. Melissa turned towards Xander. "Thank you. You're a real lifesaver, you know that?"

"And what, exactly, is he saving you from, my dear?" Melissa eyes widened and she slowly turned to face the still figure lurking in the shadows of the alleyway. 

This had to be Onegin. Even if Melissa had never described him, Xander would have known. He exuded the air of leashed cruelty and coiled power of every Master vampire he'd ever met. He shifted a little and was suddenly standing close to Melissa. Xander blinked in bewilderment; he hadn't even seen the creature move. Melissa's face was eloquent in its despair.

Then Xander witnessed an amazing transformation. She leaned against the wall and gave a breezy laugh. "Hi, Dad. Are you following me?" 

Onegin's eyes narrowed at the word "Dad" but he gave an empty smile. "I just want to know what my daughter is doing out so late at night." 

She blinked in feigned annoyance. "Late? It's only 11:30 p.m." 

"That's late enough for you, young lady. Now, what danger did this young man save you from?"

"Well, I was going to pay the bartender for my drinks but then I realized that I'd left my wallet at home. This man came up to me and gallantly paid for my drinks. It was so sweet. Who says chivalry is dead?" 

Xander fell into his role and decided to play the goof for all he was worth. He grinned cheekily at the blonde vampire. "Don't hurt me, Pops. The lady was in need of some assistance. I just thought I'd help. I never could resist a damsel in distress."

"Charming. He's not the 'sweet-smelling brunette' you mentioned to me earlier, though."

"No, of course not. But I thought he'd do for the job." Xander realized that they were discussing Melissa's task for the night. Trying to rein in his fear, he peered towards the alleyway entrance. Where were the girls? 

He jumped as he felt Onegin stroking the side of his face. "Oh, yes, he'll definitely do. I wonder if I could try him for myself?"

Melissa pouted. "He was going to be my first. I thought I'd be allowed to take him on my own." There was a tense moment while an unspoken challenge flashed between the two demons. 

Then Onegin stepped back. "By all means, Melissa."

Xander held up his hands in protest. "Hey, just hold it, you two! I didn't come here to get dragged into some kinky scene. I ain't into sex with guys." 

Melissa leaned in until she was inches away. "Actually, this is more a case of voyeurism."

She pressed close against his body and wound her arms around him. [XANDER, CAN YOU STILL HEAR ME? IS THE LINK STILL FUNCTIONING?] 

[I GET YOU LOUD AND CLEAR.] 

[WHAT ABOUT THE OTHERS? I CAN'T REACH THEM.]

Xander tried sending a mental call for Buffy but there was only silence in his mind. [THEY MUST BE TOO FAR AWAY.]

[DAMN. LISTEN, YOU'RE GOING TO SHOVE ME AS HARD AS YOU CAN INTO ONEGIN AND RUN FOR THE ALLEYWAY ENTRANCE. I'LL DO MY BEST TO KEEP HIM DOWN. SCREAM FOR BUFFY. SHE'S GOT TO HAVE MISSED US BY NOW.]

Xander felt a surge of rebellion. Why did he have to run? And _scream_ for Buffy? He knew she was the hero of their little gang but, dammit, he'd killed lots of vampires before. [HEY, I'VE GOT A STAKE IN MY BACK POCKET…] 

[NO! DON'T EVEN ATTEMPT TO BE BRAVE! JUST GET BUFFY!]

Swiftly, he pushed Melissa hard so that she staggered backwards. She crashed into the Russian. He only reeled slightly but she thrust one leg between his and tripped him to the ground. As they both fell, Xander yanked his stake out and lunged towards the Master vamp as Melissa rolled out of the way. [YES!!]

Onegin grabbed his downward plunging hand in one icy grip and squeezed until Xander gasped in pain and dropped the stake. He gripped Xander's throat with the other hand and easily lifted him off the ground as he raised himself. "Very interesting, Melissa. Your young man here seems to have been armed against our kind. Last night the Slayer, tonight an amateur vampire hunter. You _do_ have bad luck with your prey." 

Melissa scrambled upright and stared at Xander. "Onegin, I didn't know….." 

"ENOUGH!!! I'll deal with you later. As for you, little boy…." Onegin stiffened and dropped Xander onto the ground. Xander choked for breath and stared at the stake—his stake—sticking out of the vampire's chest. Krisa he snarled just before he exploded into ash.

Melissa stood in front of Xander, clutching his stake in her hand, and glared in fierce triumph at the ashes scattered in the alley. "Yeah! Got you, you undead bastard! I've been waiting two months to do that!" Noticing Xander's wheezing breaths, she dropped the stake and knelt down beside him. "Xander! Are you hurt?"

He barely managed to shake his head as she effortlessly pulled him upward. [Vampire strength. Oh man, could I use a little right now.] He looked up to find her gaze resting on his throat. "Whu-what is it?" he managed to squeeze out.

"You're bleeding. He must have scratched you with those talons of his." She glided closer as if mesmerized by the scarlet drops just beginning to stain his neck and fingers. Before he could move, she gently clasped his shoulders and began licking his throat. Xander jumped and tried to push her back. She lifted her head and gave him an unreadable look. "It's okay, Xander. I won't hurt you. Vampire saliva will help the cuts heal faster." She lowered her head again and resumed licking. 

Xander thought he must be crazy. He was standing in an alley letting a vampire feed from him. But her face hadn't changed at all. Her human features remained in place, and the strokes from her tongue were slow, almost…tender. She was also emitting a steady, rumbling purr that he could feel in his chest and throughout his body. It was almost like being licked by a cat. A big, womanly cat with breasts, he thought dreamily. Without realizing it, his arms wound their way around her back and he clutched her tighter.

"Get away from him, you vampire bitch!" Anya shrieked. As Melissa jerked her head up, startled by the intrusion, Anya drew a squirt gun and pumped a stream of holy water into her face. Melissa screamed and staggered away, clawing at her face. Anya grabbed at Xander, "Honey, what did she do to you? Did she bite you?"

"No, Anya, you've got it all wrong! I mean, it wasn't what it looked like." Xander found himself embarrassed by Anya's accusing gaze. He looked over her shoulder to see Buffy and Willow gaping at him as if he'd sprouted horns. "Look, guys, Melissa saved my life. We ran into Onegin, she staked him and she was just….." 

"Just what? Giving you a hickey out of gratitude?" 

Xander sighed. He could feel one of Anya's tantrums coming on. "Onegin scratched me. She was just healing the wounds by licking them." 

"Hasn't she ever heard of Bactine?" Anya snapped.

"I'm sorry, Anya." Melissa came closer. Her face was still smoking and charred where the holy water had hit it but was already beginning to heal. "It was Xander's blood. I couldn't resist it. It smelled so...appetizing." She smiled in apology but Anya was clearly not appeased. Melissa shrugged and turned to Willow and Buffy. "But the great thing is, I got Onegin! I staked the son-of-a-bitch right in the heart!"

Buffy glanced at the dust scattered as evidence of Melissa's deed. "That's great, Melissa. There's just one little problem. With Onegin dead, who's going to meet with the Mohra?"

Melissa's grin faded as the realization hit her. She looked at the others and then at the dusty ground. "Oops."

They regrouped in The Bronze, with Anya fussing at Xander's throat and continuing to shoot angry glares in Melissa's direction. Melissa stared at the floor, utterly defeated. "That's it. It's over. I can't get to the Mohra without Onegin. If Onegin was suspicious enough about me to follow me, then chances are Yuri knew of his plan. If I go back without him and try to play ignorant, he'll wonder why Onegin didn't return. He'll suspect me no matter what I tell him. Even if he believes I don't know anything about Onegin's…departure, he'll probably stake me anyway. Onegin was the only one of that troop who wanted me around. With him gone, my usefulness is definitely at an end."

Xander impatiently swatted at Anya's hands. "No way. We are not going to give up just like that, not after everything we've been through."

Anya hissed, "Xander, this has gone on far enough. I say Buffy forgets all about saving this creature's humanity and just go to the castle and stake all of them. Preferably at dawn so they can't escape anywhere. Who's with me?" 

Buffy raised her hand. "I second that notion."

Willow shot angry looks at both women. "Well, I don't. Buffy, the Hebrew have a saying, 'He who saves one life saves the world entire.' " 

Buffy stonily replied, "Is that what you were thinking when you brought me back from the dead? When you ripped me out of heaven?" 

An awful silence fell over the group. Willow's mouth opened and closed while Anya and Xander stared in shock at Buffy. She'd never discussed what had happened to her, never made any accusations against them and they could never bring themselves to mention it. Melissa's eyes fell unblinking on Buffy's face. She whispered, "Heaven? You were in Heaven?" Without another word, she bolted up and ran blindly towards the women's bathroom. Willow ran after her, as much to escape Buffy's icy stare as to comfort the distraught vampiress.

She found Melissa crouched on one of the toilets. "Close the door," she muttered tonelessly. "Wouldn't want someone to come in and notice I'm not casting a reflection. I get the feeling that might be hard to explain." 

Willow whispered a short spell. Outside the girl's bathroom, a sign reading "OUT OF ORDER" magically appeared on the door. Melissa stared up at Willow. "It's really true, then? She _was_ dead." Willow nodded. 

"Then Heaven does exist. Like Hell. Where Angel went." Willow stayed silent. She was struggling with the almost overwhelming feeling of guilt that had arisen from Buffy's last words. The Slayer resented her. She was on the verge of losing one of her best friends while trying to help someone else regain her humanity. As she had done increasingly in the weeks following Buffy's resurrection, the redhead wondered if she'd done the right thing. Another Slayer would have arisen to save the world, another would have taken Buffy's place. The world would not have been left defenseless without a protector. Had Willow really brought her back for no better reason than that she wanted to keep her friend? Had she been as selfish as all that?

A low sob from the stall snapped her out of her self-castigation. The vampiress leaned her head against one cold wall, struggling to choke back tears. "Willow, I don't know what to do! Anya's right. Too many people have died since I came up with this idiotic plan. All those people the minions killed last night might have lived if Buffy had just gone to the castle like she wanted and staked them all. Xander nearly died tonight because of me. I can't let this go on. I should just let Buffy do her job and kill the lot of them."

Willow crouched down. "Melissa, listen to me. Xander was glad to risk his life for you. It's no more than we do everyday for billions of strangers we never meet. Anyone of us could die doing those things and who would know? Buffy has this tremendous burden on her shoulder and it makes her a little, well, a little too determined to see the world in terms of black and white."

Melissa shook her head fiercely. "No, that's not true. Angel and Spike prove that Buffy's capable of making distinctions. But she's also about saving lives and lives are being lost while she's wasting time trying to save one pathetic vampire." She gulped back tears. "But…if I stay like this, when I die, I'll go to Hell. I didn't know it existed before, I never thought about it. But now I know it's real, like Heaven. I can't help it, Willow. I'm just being selfish, I know. But I don't want to die like this! I want to be human again. I want my shot at Heaven!" 

The battle to hold back tears failed. The vampiress fell on Willow's neck and started to cry as if her heart were broken. Willow felt herself determinedly blinking back tears while she hugged Melissa hard. [Boy, guess I'm not the only emotionally needy one around here.] 

Finally, Melissa dragged herself away from Willow, rubbing her eyes. "Wow, how sad is this? I was 36 when I was turned, I should be more stable than this. I'm sorry, Willow, but ever since I became a vampire, it's like my emotions have been on a rollercoaster. I know I was supposed to have lost all my inhibitions but it's like I lost my equilibrium, too. It's like being in a permanent state of PMS." 

This image was so funny that Willow found herself starting to giggle. A moment later, both girls were collapsing in helpless peals of laughter. Willow got up and staggered to the mirror, still shaking helplessly in the grip of hysterical laughter. She lifted her head and stared into the shiny surface. There were the stalls behind her, each and every one of them seemingly empty. The abrupt realization of Melissa's state brought her back into sobriety. No one there. What must it be like to look into every shining surface and see no reflection looking back at you? How could Melissa—how could any vampire stand it? 

She gazed hard into the mirror, wishing with a flare of frustration that she had the scrying mirror with her. Suddenly, the mirror rippled briefly as if a shadow had passed in front of it. Willow jumped and stared harder. She thought of the castle and the image abruptly reared up in front of her. It seemed so real, as if she could reach out and touch it.

She'd had no idea. Evidently, with her powers, she didn't need a special mirror. Any sufficiently shiny surface, even a bowl full of water, might do. She concentrated and thought of Yuri, trying to see what he was doing.

Melissa noticed her intent stare and frowned. What was the matter with her? She'd been snickering like mad and now she was gazing unblinkingly into the mirror as if she was in a trance. "Willow? What is it? What are you doing?" She reached a hand out hesitatingly and touched the wicca and then dropped it when Willow didn't respond. Whatever was happening, Willow didn't seem to be in any danger. She decided to leave her alone and wait for Willow to snap out of it.

This was much better than the scrying mirror. The large surface of the bathroom mirror made it possible for her to see entire rooms and several people at once. Willow saw Yuri pacing back and forth in Onegin's bedroom suite in manifest agitation. When there was a hesitant knock on the door, he barked out, "What!"

The minion—Willow remembered his name, Crusher—edging into the room shrank back at the exclamation. "Hey, don't shoot the messenger, okay?" 

"Is the Master back?" 

Crusher shook his head in negation. "Nope. There's no sign of him. Or that stupid programmer, either. Honestly, I don't see why he keeps her around."

"Are you skilled in operating computers?" 

The minion shrugged. "No more or less than anyone else, I guess." 

"This woman is said to be one of the best there is. That's why the Master wanted her. So don't question his decisions." 

"Maybe she is. But she's a piss-poor vampire. She ain't gonna last too long if she doesn't get with the program." The vampire snickered at his little pun. 

Yuri appeared distinctly unamused. "The Mohra will appear shortly before dawn in the eastern wing, the better to be in line with the rising sun. It's using magic to transport itself so it cannot be tracked. If Onegin isn't there by 6 a.m., the creature will disappear and not return. It is greedy but not stupid."

"So what? Forget him. We know where the Slayer lives. Just send a bunch of us to wait for her and we'll….." 

"Get yourselves killed just like the others. She took out fifteen of us the other night. Avoid her like the Master said and you may yet live out this century. Don't worry about the programmer. Her usefulness will be at end soon. When that happens, the Master will probably kill her himself." The minion gave a shark-toothed smirk and exited. Yuri waited until the door closed and then pulled a shiny metal briefcase from underneath the desk and laid it on the table. He drummed his fingers on it and muttered, "Lord, where are you?"

Willow came back to herself with a slight gasp. This was perfect! She knew their plans, she knew where the Mohra would be and she was betting that briefcase contained the $5,000,000 Onegin had mentioned. She turned around to find Melissa's worried eyes directed at her face. "Willow, are you all right? You just drifted off for a couple of minutes."

"I'm all right. I'm better than all right. Melissa, I think we can still pull this off." Willow was practically bouncing in her excitement. "The Mohra is going to meet Onegin at the eastern wing. If Buffy can get to him, she can take him down and give you the blood." 

Melissa stared. "Really? Is that what you were doing? Seeing into Onegin's castle?" Willow nodded smugly while Melissa shook her head admiringly, then sighed. "Well, that would be great except for one thing." 

"What's that?" 

"Onegin had all the windows to those rooms heavily boarded up. He wanted to be able to use those rooms without getting roasted in the daylight." 

Willow raised her eyebrows. "How's that a problem?" 

"It means that Buffy won't be able to get into the rooms that way. The only other way is through the castle." Willow's enthusiasm instantly evaporated. Now what would they do?

TBC


	4. Spike Lends a Hand

There was absolute quiet after Willow left that no one wanted to break. "Look, Buffy…" 

"Don't, Xander, just don't say a word." 

Xander felt a brief flare of anger. "No, dammit, listen!" Buffy's head jerked up at his harsh tone. "Willow wasn't the only one who used that spell, you know. We all pitched in. We wanted you back because we thought you were in Hell. Don't dump on her unless you're prepared to take potshots at all of us." 

Buffy's shoulders slumped. "I don't want to take potshots at anybody, Xander. I just spoke without thinking, that's all. I just don't want to lose any more lives helping that…woman." 

"Here, here," Anya muttered approvingly. 

Xander opened his mouth for an angry reply when a well-known English voice intruded. "Is this a private party or can anyone join?" Meeting with no response except unfriendly silence, he plumped himself down beside Buffy and took a swig of his beer. "I'm surprised to see you all here. Shouldn't you be out saving little puppies from getting stepped on?"

"Shouldn't you be cruising the bar looking for a date? Or maybe you'd have better luck in a florist's shop." At Xander's pointed reference to Spike's sex with a golem, the other Scoobies smirked. 

Spike scowled. "I know I didn't have sex with a dirtball…" 

"And we know you did, so stop trying to deny it. You're not convincing anybody at this table, Farmer Brown."

"Guys! We've got an—" Willow fell silent as she and Melissa noticed Spike sitting next to Buffy. She sent a mental thought towards the others. [LET'S GET INTO XANDER'S CAR. I'LL TELL YOU ALL ABOUT THIS ON THE WAY.] The others got up and started walking quickly out of The Bronze as Willow's telepathic voice continued to make itself heard. [WE KNOW WHERE THE MOHRA IS GOING TO BE. ONEGIN HAS TO MEET IT IN THE EAST WING AT 6 A.M.]

[THAT'S GREAT, WILLS. BUT ONEGIN IS DEAD, REMEMBER?] 

[I KNOW, XANDER, BUT THE MOHRA DOESN'T AND YURI DOESN'T KNOW THAT EITHER. IF MELISSA SHOWS UP WITH A COUPLE OF HUMAN THRALLS IN TOW, YURI PROBABLY WON'T KILL HER RIGHT AWAY OR SUSPECT HER OF KILLING ONEGIN.]

[HUMAN THRALLS?]

[I MEAN BUFFY, ANYA AND YOU.]

[WHAT?!] That outraged mental squawk was Anya's.

[YOU'LL ALL KILL AS MANY VAMPIRES AS YOU CAN WHILE I USE A TELEPORTATION SPELL TO GET TO THE EAST WING. WHEN I APPEAR, I'LL USE A FREEZE SPELL TO KEEP THE MOHRA IMMOBILE. I'M TELLING YOU, IT COULD WORK!]

[I DON'T CARE IF IT WORKS OR NOT. I THOUGHT WE'D AGREED WE WEREN'T GOING TO HELP HER ANYMORE. I DON'T WANT MY XANDER TO GET HURT AGAIN OVER HER.]

[FINE, ANYA. I GUESS WE'LL JUST GO WITHOUT YOU.] A wave of hurt followed that quiet statement. Anya couldn't believe Xander would turn her down in favor of some demon woman he met only two days ago.

[I HAVEN'T AGREED TO THIS, EITHER, XANDER. YOU THINK YOU COULD STAND UP TO THOSE MANY VAMPS WITHOUT MY HELP?]

[BUFFY, PLEASE.] Willow poured as much silent begging as she could into her words. [YOU SAID YOU'RE GOING TO ATTACK THE CASTLE, ANYWAY. WHY DON'T WE TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO HELP MELISSA AS WELL? SHE JUST WANTS A CHANCE TO GET HER SOUL BACK. SHE WANTS TO GET TO HEAVEN, TOO.]

[WILLOW, YOU'RE FORGETTING WHAT YOU TOLD ME. THE MOHRA IS LOOKING FOR ONEGIN. IF HE DOESN'T APPEAR, HE'LL USE MAGIC AND DISAPPEAR. BUFFY WON'T BE ABLE TO CATCH HIM.]

[WILLOW, YOU DIDN'T TELL US THE CREATURE USED MAGIC!] 

[WELL, I USE MAGIC, TOO! I SHOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE IT BY SURPRISE.]

[ARE YOU SURE?] Buffy sent her doubt towards the redhead. [THE LAST TIME YOU TRIED A TELEPORTATION SPELL WITH GLORY, YOU COLLAPSED. YOU BARELY HAD THE STRENGTH TO STAND UP.]

Spike didn't get it. One moment he'd been on the verge of another round of insults with Buffy and her friends. The next they were all staring at each other and making odd faces. Then they'd abruptly got up and left the club without another word. Any nasty comments he made were ignored as if he hadn't spoken. In a flash, he understood. They were communicating telepathically, the way they did during their battles. Somehow, they were planning something and leaving him out of it. Again. 

He raced after them. Whatever it was, he was keeping close. Maybe there'd be a chance at demon ass-kicking. Buffy abruptly turned on him when he made it clear that he was tagging along. "What do you want, Spike? I don't recall asking for your company."

"It's a public street, Slayer. I can go where I like."

"Well, unless you're planning on chasing the car like the other canines, why don't you go back to your crypt and chew on a bone?"

"No, I just thought I'd hop on my bike. Plenty of room for you to join me. I know you probably miss having something big between your legs." He smirked suggestively at her.

"No thanks. I don't miss _Angel_ that much." With that parting shot, Buffy moved back to join the others.

[BUFFY, WAIT! I'VE GOT AN EVEN BETTER IDEA.] 

[MAN, IS ANYONE ELSE STARTING TO GET SCARED WHEN SHE SAYS THAT?] Xander shook his head, spooked at the sudden telepathic intrusion.

Willow looked Spike up and down with a speculative air. "Melissa, you said Onegin had yellowish hair, blue eyes and was short, about five foot three, right?"

"That's right. What does that have to do with…?" Melissa stopped when Willow's intentions became clear. The wicca flashed her a sparkling grin even as Melissa began to yell. "Oh no. OH NO. We are NOT using him!"

"Why not? Look at him. He's perfect." 

Melissa snorted. "Perfectly skanky, you mean. He doesn't look like a Russian boyar. He looks like one of the boys Onegin used to pick up for a little fuck-and-suck."

"Hang on a minute!"

"The Mohra is going to take one look at that whore's-blond hair and nasty fingernails and know we're trying to con him. It will NOT work."

"Sure it will. We've got until 6 a.m. That'll be time enough for us to make a few minor…adjustments." Melissa threw up her hands and stomped over to Xander's car. Willow gave Spike a deceptively innocent smile. "So, Spike. How's your Russian?" 

Spike narrowed his eyes and looked back and forth amongst the Scoobies, who all wore varying different looks of incredulity. "Let me get this straight. You want me to impersonate that plank Onegin? What for?"

"Melissa dusted him in the alleyway near The Bronze," Xander stated matter-of-factly.

Spike raised an eyebrow at Melissa who stared pointedly down the street, avoiding his look. She'd dusted her Sire? He didn't know whether to feel shock or admiration. He turned back to the others. "What's in it for me?"

"What do you mean, what's in it for you, Fangless? A moment ago, you were tagging along behind us like Rin Tin Tin and now you want to be paid? Typical," Xander spat with disgust. "No wonder Buffy can't stand you."

"Look, if it were going to be for Buffy or the Little Bit, I'd gladly pitch in. But I'm not about to risk my unlife for some vampire cow without a little compensation."

"How does $5,000,000 sound? Is that sufficient compensation?" The calm statement made the others gape. Melissa gave Spike an enigmatic look. 

Spike goggled. _That's_ what was at stake? "Hell, yeah! That'd do it, all right." 

She thrust herself off the car and called to the others. "Great. Now where do we go to get that crap washed out of his hair?"

"We'll go to his crypt. It's closest. He's probably got weapons, too. We can stock up on those." Xander held the door open and the others piled in as Spike got on his motorcycle. Christ, he could do a lot with $5,000,000. He wouldn't need to rely on the damn Scoobies for dosh for a long while. Maybe he could even leave this rotten town…

Melissa tapped her foot impatiently, wrinkling her nose as she peered around the crypt. "Come on, how long does it take to get that junk out?" 

"It's not junk, it's a very expensive hair dye." 

"Like I said before, who knew expensive could look so cheap?"

Spike climbed out of the downstairs enclosure, a towel draped over his hair. "It looks a hell of lot better than that poofter's hair."

"What poofter?" 

"Angel. He puts this nancy-boy hair gel in it that makes it stick up like a hedgehog's." 

Melissa digested this for a moment. "Are you sure you're not gay? You sling about a lot of derogatory gay terms and homophobia usually indicates repressed homosexual tendencies. Besides, only gay men make such a fuss about their hair—or become critical of other men's."

Spike removed the towel and threw it onto an armchair. "Being a vampire's not about being gay or straight. When you have to entice your prey, you don't make a distinction between sexes. It's stupid to cut out half your food source just because you prefer…"

"Steers to cows?" she finished sweetly. She turned to the blonde vampire and stiffened. Spike's hair was revealed in all its original hue. Robbed of its ever-present dye, it showed up as a natural sandy color. It was disturbing but for a brief moment, she saw Onegin's features overlaid onto Spike's. She growled softly in remembered hatred. 

Spike noticed. "Okay, now what?" 

She moved away abruptly. "Nothing," she snapped. "What do you have in the way of wardrobe?" 

"What you see is what you get, luv."

"You mean, it's nothing but black T-shirts and black jeans? Boy, for someone who obviously considers himself a rebel, you have a very narrow view of what it means to be a vampire. Not that Onegin's crew had any broader viewpoints. You should have heard them making fun of each other's tastes in music, clothes and books." She paused. "Not that they talked much about those things. Maybe if you have enough time, you can raid Onegin's wardrobe for something more suitable."

"Some looks never go out of style, luv." 

"You mean the gay, leather-clad hustler look was in vogue when you were turned?"

"Shut up." 

Spike shrugged into his leather coat and Melissa rolled her eyes. "Don't you even have a better coat?" 

"What the hell's wrong with this?" 

She walked over and tugged at the collar. "Well, it doesn't even fit you properly. It's bunched onto your shoulders, the cuffs hang over your knuckles and the hem drags at your ankles. It's a wonder you don't trip every time you take a step in it. The man you stole it from must have been at least three inches taller than you."

"Slayer."

Melissa wrinkled her brows in confusion. "What?"

"I stole this from the second Slayer I killed," Spike said this with supreme self-satisfaction. 

Melissa gaped at him and then exploded in disgust, "My God! Does Buffy know about this?" 

"Sure she does. I told her."

She edged away from him, her mouth twisted in distaste. "With a great deal of relish, no doubt. Just another reason for her to hate you, I'll bet. Why she keeps you around the place, I'll never comprehend. I'm sure you're marginally useful at times, but you're way too proud of your ugly past. If I were she, I'd have staked you long ago, chip or no chip."

"Yeah, well, Buffy appreciates what I do for her. And don't forget, I can't hurt humans but I can still do a number on demons, so you'd better watch your step." 

She chose to ignore the threat and said, "I'm sure Buffy appreciates you for exactly what you are. That's why she speaks of you the way she does."

"Why, what does she have to say about me?" Spike kept his tone light and sneering but inwardly he hoped to hear that Buffy had been talking about him, no matter what. 

Melissa stared at him and coldly replied, "Nothing at all."

She turned towards the entrance as Xander poked his head in. "Is Liberace almost finished with his wardrobe change? Because we're about ready to go, here."

Spike sauntered towards him. "At least I don't dress in Hawaiian shirts. Coming, luv?" 

"Lead on, Sparky."

Xander hefted his axe as they stepped through the sewers. "I still don't see why we couldn't just go through the front door," Anya groused. 

Melissa fingered her stake and she sighed. "I've explained this already. The entryway here is the shortest path to the main chamber. We can kill any vamps we meet on the way and considerably cut down on the number you'll have to wade through when you get into the castle. Speaking of which……" 

The group paused as they came upon a trio of vampires coming in the other direction. They all froze and then the vamps roared and charged. Buffy and Spike leapt forward and swiftly dispatched them all. Willow murmured under her breath, carefully practicing the spell that would transport her, Spike and Melissa into Onegin's room. Hopefully, the sound of Buffy and company killing all their comrades would draw any stragglers and divert attention away from them.

There were more encounters with other vampires, not all of them fledglings. A couple were old and cunning fighters but not smart enough to turn down the chance to kill juicy humans. Only one decided to run screaming for the entryway to warn the others. But Buffy threw her stake and caught him squarely in the heart. He was dust before he'd gone ten feet.

They paused before the entrance and lifted their weapons. Buffy turned towards Willow. "Remember, give us fifteen minutes before going upstairs." 

Willow nodded. "Be careful, you guys." 

Buffy gave her a strained smile and then she paused. "Wills, about what I said in The Bronze….." 

Willow waved off her apology. "Forget it, Buffy. We can talk about it later. You just be careful."

Buffy hugged her hard. "You too, Willow. You be careful, too, Melissa." She ignored Spike.

Xander piped up, "Have fun storming the castle!" At their incredulous looks, he muttered, "Well, somebody had to say it." They turned towards the entrance and then Buffy eased open the door and tiptoed in. It slammed shut leaving the others in relative quiet. 

Willow found herself fidgeting. The two vampires with her were almost preternaturally still. She couldn't tell anything about what they were thinking from their blank faces. As the minutes ticked by, the silence grew so unbearable, she felt she had to say something. "So…..," she gulped. Her voice seemed almost too loud after the eerie quiet. "Melissa, what are you going to do after you become human again?" 

Melissa glanced at her and then stared dreamily into space. "I think….I'll go visit my parents in Vermont. They haven't heard from me in such a long time. And I never had a funeral so no one knows I was dead. I can just pick up my life without anyone being the wiser."

"And what life would that be, eh? Grinding mediocrity in Suburbialand? Working late hours and then coming home to lonely, single-woman TV dinners?" 

Melissa didn't spare Spike so much as a look. "Look who's talking. I didn't notice any hot young boys waiting for you in that crypt of yours." 

Willow choked back a giggle at Spike's thunderous expression. Then she glanced at her watch and jumped up. "Okay, you two. It's show time." Spike snorted but joined hands with Willow and Melissa as the redheaded wicca began to chant.

The spell worked perfectly. They materialized in Onegin's bedroom without a hitch. Almost immediately, Willow staggered, pale and shaken from the spell's power. Melissa caught her as she swayed and eased her into a chair. She peered into her face with concern. "Willow, are you okay?" 

Willow nodded, grateful of the chance to catch her breath. "I think so. I feel a lot better than the last time I tried this. My powers are getting stronger. Soon there'll be no aftereffects, at all."

Spike walked towards the desk, picking up the shiny briefcase that lay on top of it. "Wait a minute!" Melissa cried. 

"What's the problem? This is the loot, innit?" 

She chewed her bottom lip. "I'm not sure. Onegin had two cases and he did speak of cheating the Mohra, if he could. Let me open this one and check." She spun the numbers on the side. 

"How do you know the combination?" Willow inquired. 

"Onegin used to send me out on errands with one or the other of these cases. I had to memorize the numbers." She opened it and rotated the case so Spike could see the green bills nestled inside. Before he could take a closer look, she snapped it shut and twirled the numbers again. "That's it, then. Let's go."

Before any of them could move, the door slammed open. In the doorway stood the imposing bulk of Yuri.

Almost immediately after Buffy and her friends came through the door, they were met by Crusher coming to check if Onegin had returned. He gaped open-mouthed at them. "Hey, who the fu…….?" Before he could get another word out, Xander lunged at him, swinging the axe. The blade swung cleanly through his neck and he was dusted before the stupid look on his face had a chance to disappear. 

Buffy gazed at Xander in admiration. "Way to go, big guy." 

Xander swung the axe jauntily. "It's all in the execution, ladies." 

"Xander, look out!" Anya screamed as a pair of females rounded the corner. The women didn't hesitate at all. Smelling human flesh, they charged forward, snarling at their prey. As all five clashed, the noises drew other vampires from within the castle and the fight was on.

Yuri had started at the sounds of battle and raced out of the room. One glance had been enough to confirm his fears. Somehow the Slayer and her friends had found their way into the castle. They were keeping vampires from exiting through the doors and the tunnel entrance. There also appeared to be far fewer vampires than he had expected for this time of night. No, morning, he silently amended. It was almost time for the Mohra to appear. 

At this thought, a cruel grin lit up his features. He'd bring the creature the money and then let the Slayer tangle with one of the most dangerous assassins ever spawned. He was certain that the monster wouldn't care who showed once the money was in its claws. It might even appreciate the fact that it wouldn't have to hunt for the Slayer. He'd turned back hurriedly and opened the door.

All four people froze as Yuri's eyes fastened on Melissa. "What are you doing in here, bitch? And who are these two?" 

Melissa relaxed again. "I was just going to find you. I think the Mohra is due to arrive and I know it wanted its money. This," gesturing towards Spike, "is a vampire I met earlier this evening. He showed me a place where I could pick up human thralls. So I brought her along. I thought I might eat in again tonight." 

Yuri scowled. "Is that so? How do you know anything about the Mohra's arrival? I'm sure the Master didn't discuss it with you."

Melissa answered, "I'm afraid he did. My new friend and I met him while we were heading back with my little redheaded thrall here, and we ran into the Slayer. She attacked Onegin. While he was fighting her off, he yelled at me to come back here and see you gave the Mohra its money. That's the last I saw of him. Frankly, I expected him to be back by now."

Yuri stood stock still for a moment, a dawning look of horror in his eyes. "But…..the Slayer, she is downstairs. If she is here and the Master is not….." Melissa said nothing. She would have pretended sympathy but she knew Yuri wouldn't be fooled for a moment. Yuri appeared to remember the other occupants of the room. All at once, his eyes narrowed as he looked at Spike. "You look familiar. Where do I know you from?"

"I don't know, pal. I ain't never been in the Soviet Union. I been in Colorado most of mah life," Spike replied in a Midwestern drawl. 

Melissa had no idea how accurate his accent was but she thought she'd lend a hand. She deadpanned, "Uh, Jebediah, there is no Soviet Union anymore. The Communist party collapsed." 

Spike blinked in simulated stupidity. "Really? Weall, nobuhdy told me."

Without warning, Yuri roared, "WILLIAM THE BLOODY!" and sprang at him. 

"Bugger," Spike swore under his breath and swung as hard as he could at Yuri's jaw. The behemoth didn't even blink as the blow landed. He just wrapped his hands around Spike's body in a massive bearhug and bore him to the floor. Willow jumped up and tried to cast a spell to freeze the vampire or make him explode into flames. But she was still too weak and reeled as the room spun around her. Melissa staggered as the two wrestling males knocked into her legs and she fell backwards over the desk.

Yuri managed to get on top of Spike and caught his head between his hands. Willow sucked in her breath as she saw him begin to squeeze and twist at the blonde vampire's skull. Oh God, that crushing grip…….

Melissa got up from behind the desk and grabbed one of the axes from the wall. She ran up to Yuri and swung the weapon with all her strength into Yuri's back. He reared up, bellowing at the pain and turned to stare at her with disbelieving eyes. Willow threw up her hands and chanted as streaks of fire lanced from her fingertips. As the vampire caught on fire, he cried out towards Melissa, "How could you? You are of our clan! Where is your loyalty?" 

Melissa gave him the chilliest smile Willow had ever seen on her face. "What can I say, Yuri? I've never liked you." She paused and stepped back as the fire began to consume him. "Yuri, I want you to know one thing before you die. The Slayer didn't kill Onegin.

"I did."

Yuri gave a gargled scream of rage and anguish and reached for her. He was old and strong—for a moment it seemed as if he would make it. But, in the end, the magical fire was too much for him. He staggered and collapsed into dust at her feet.

Melissa stood motionless for a moment and then gave a sharp nod. She turned from the pile of ashes in front of her and picked up a Chinese bowl resting on one of the shelves. She found an ornate letter opener lying on the floor among the items scattered during the short fray. "Come on, you two. We've got a meeting with a Mohra."

Below them, the trio was making short work of the remaining vampires. Some of the demons had realized that they were outmatched and tried to make it towards the sewers. But Anya was waiting for them with squirts of holy water that caused them to retreat again and again. Others who tried escaping through the outer doors shrank back from the encroaching dawn. Slowly but steadily, Buffy and her friends were making it towards the east wing.

Spike, Willow and Melissa glanced around the room. They'd gone through a side door that took them away from the fighting. From this distance, they could hear nothing of the battle; the castle walls were too thick to allow the sounds to penetrate. Hopefully, the Mohra would hear nothing to arouse its suspicions. The room was large and conspicuously empty of everything except a few chairs and a long table. It was also quite dark, given the boarded-up windows Melissa had mentioned. 

Spike rested the shiny case on the table and tapped it thoughtfully. He'd gotten what he'd come for; why stick around? He could simply pick up the case and leave. But, then he'd probably run into Buffy and the others and have to explain why the vampire bint and Red weren't with him. He could always claim the Mohra had killed them……

"Don't even think about it, Spike." The low-voiced warning came from Willow and he didn't have to see her to know her eyes had turned completely black. 

Melissa glanced at him sharply. He gave her an innocent look. "What? I was just wondering when this demon was going to show. Hasn't he ever heard of punctuality?" 

"Patience. He wants his money. He'll be here," Melissa replied shortly.

All of a sudden, there was a bright flare at the other end of the room. When it cleared, the Mohra was standing motionless in a slowly dissipating ring of smoke. He looked about the room and then started smashing through one of the windows. The wood splintered under his flailing hands as if it were cardboard. In moments, a sizeable hole had appeared, letting in the first rays of predawn.

Willow tried to appear unafraid but found herself shivering, nonetheless. This demon was huge. At eight feet, it was even taller than Yuri had been. If Onegin had planned to doublecross the creature, it would have taken the combined might of several vampires to tackle it. 

Spike approached with his trademark arrogance. If he felt any trepidation, he kept it well hidden. Right then. You the assassin I'm paying so much for?

You are the one called Onegin? Evidently the Mohra was as disinterested in pleasantries as they were.

That's right. Got your cash right here. Hefting up the briefcase, Spike patted it with one hand.

Let me see the money. Spike walked as closely as he could to the patch where the demon waited. The creature kept his hand on his sword at all times. It was indeed as cautious as Onegin had claimed. It hissed when Spike was about six feet away from it. That's close enough! Open the case.

Spike snapped his fingers without looking at Melissa. She gritted her teeth at the insolent gesture and told herself that he was only staying in character—whether his or Onegin's was immaterial. She grabbed the case from him, turned the tumblers and opened the case once more. She barely had time to close it and re-set the numbers when the demon extended one hand and waved it at her with irritation. Throw it here.

Melissa hesitated. She didn't understand the Russian at all, though the gesture was clear. She raised an eyebrow at Spike, wondering how he wanted to play it. Somehow they had to keep the creature here until Buffy arrived. She tried to play for time.

"Onegin, ask him if he can really kill the Slayer. This is a woman who defeated a Hellgod, if the rumors are true. What makes him so qualified to succeed where so many others have failed?"

The demon hissed and swiftly drew its sword. It flashed out and he drew intricate patterns in the air with it. The growing light winked and dazzled off its surface as it moved too fast for the human eye to see. "Your minion is too outspoken for its own good. Perhaps I should demonstrate my skill on her."

"No need, mate. But I'll be happy to take her place." The Mohra's head jerked up at Spike's abrupt change of accent. But he was unprepared as the blonde vamp attacked him with a flying kick to the head. Melissa shrank back as the two demons engaged each other in battle. Spike drew a short sword out of his coat and she blinked. She hadn't even known he was carrying it.

The demon parried his first swing and what followed next happened too quickly for either of the women to follow. The blows came fast and furious as each tried to gain an advantage. Melissa ran back to Willow who was trying to aim another spell. "Willow, don't." 

"But Spike needs help!" 

Melissa glanced back at the energetic duel taking place behind her. "I don't think so, sweetie. He's definitely holding his own. Besides, I don't think he'd forgive us if we interfered."

Spike was having the time of his unlife. The Mohra was one of the worthiest adversaries he'd ever faced. So far, he hadn't been able to gain the upper hand. The creature was also trying to maneuver him into the steadily growing patch of sunlight through the open window. When it realized that Spike was too canny for that, it feinted and then darted towards the two girls. Before either could move, it grabbed Melissa by the throat and snatched at the briefcase. Realizing what it wanted, Melissa yelled, "Willow, catch!" and threw the case through the air so it landed near the redhead's feet. At that moment, Buffy, Anya and Xander came bursting through the door and stood gaping at the tableau that met their eyes.

The demon held his sword up under Melissa's throat. "Give me the money or I kill this one." 

Spike shrugged and nonchalantly leaned back against the wall. "Go ahead. She's only a minion. I've got plenty others where she came from." 

Melissa glared at him but nodded her head as much as she dared. "He's right. I'm only a lowly servant. You want your money, you'll have to kill the Slayer."

Buffy stepped forward, stake in hand. "That's right, tall, green and ugly. You want to put down that neck-biter and earn your pay?" Seeing itself surrounded by so many fighters, the demon hesitated. In that moment, Willow chanted the teleportation spell again and Melissa disappeared from its grip. When she reappeared in front of Willow, Buffy and Spike both dove for the demon.

This time, the fight was swiftly concluded. Buffy's stake and Spike's sword both landed in the demon's chest. "Yes! Got it!" 

"What do you mean, you got it, Slayer? I'm the one that finished it." 

"It was going down when you stabbed it, Mr. Spiky-Come-Lately." 

"You're talking rot, pet, and you know it…."

The argument continued while Melissa brought the bowl over to the recumbent Mohra. Rolling it awkwardly into an upright position, she placed the bowl between its legs. She got behind it and began squeezing and rubbing at its chest in an attempt to get the blood to flow. The others watched her as she continued with varying degrees of curiosity and fascinated horror. She gave a half-hearted smile in the face of their uncomfortable glances. "This isn't so bad. It's a little like pressing grapes, really." She paused. "God, what an image." She shuddered briefly and went back to her work. 

Finally, when there was approximately a quart of greenish, glowing liquid in the bowl, she picked it up and set it on the table. Quickly, she dipped the letter opener in the fluid and sliced open her left hand. The humans watched breathlessly as the trickle of blood made its way into her bleeding palm.

Melissa frowned. "It's not working. I don't feel any diff….AAAHHHHHH!" She screamed and collapsed onto the floor, convulsing violently as the blood began flowing through her. Xander rushed forward and fell onto his knees beside her, trying to keep her from hurting herself, as she thrashed uncontrollably in his grip. Gradually, her body stilled and she lay limply, taking in large gulps of air.

"Oh god, I'm breathing. I can feel my heart." The words came out in a whisper but they echoed through the room like a shout. Pushing herself to her feet, she made her way towards the shaft of light coming through the broken window. She halted, as if unable to take that final step, and slowly extended her arm into the first rays of dawn.

It hung there, unaffected by the brightness. All at once, she stepped into the full light from the east and turned towards the others. "It's real. I'm alive again." She fell to her knees and began crying, full-throated sobs like those Willow had witnessed in the women's room at The Bronze. 

Xander started towards her again only to stop at a gesture from Buffy. "She's okay, Xander. I think….I think this is just what she needs."

After long moments had passed, Melissa stood up again and walked back to them. "I-I want to thank you. But somehow saying 'thank you' seems woefully inadequate to the occasion. But what can I say? You helped bring me back. You gave me the world again."

Buffy stilled at hearing these words, an eerie echo of the ones she had spoken when the others had resurrected her. But Melissa meant them. To her, she had the world and heaven within her grasp. She hugged them all, one after the other, even Anya. She wiped her eyes and looked around the room, curiously. "Where's Spike? When did he leave?"

The others looked around, too. Then Buffy shrugged, uncaring. "That's Spike. Always cutting out on the emotional moments in life. We should be going now." 

They all jumped as a grunt came from the body of the Mohra. "Uh oh, sounds like our friend over there is getting twitchy," Willow observed. 

"No problem, ladies. I used to kick ass at Whack-Em-Mo Games." Xander lifted his axe and stepped carefully over to the Mohra who was just beginning to stir. He swung the blade as hard as he could at its head. The impact shattered the jewel at one blow. The Mohra leapt up shrieking and everybody flinched as it exploded against the wall.

Melissa straightened her shoulders, happiness radiating from every pore. "Well, it's all over but the shouting. Are all the minions dead?" 

Xander fingered his axe. "They should be, though we should do a final sweep of the castle and sewers." 

Melissa patted him on the shoulder and smiled at his unflagging enthusiasm. "That's great, though I doubt I'd be much help to you now. I'm going to go through Onegin's bedroom, see if there's anything of value I can take with me. The bastard never paid me for my services and I intend to get something out of him. Besides, I need to wipe his computer files clean. I want to erase any trace of myself and him from the system. I don't want anyone else to know that I've been here or guess that I used to be dead. How about you guys? Feel like carrying away any souvenirs? Onegin may have been an asshole, but he was a rich asshole."

Anya perked up noticeably at these words. "Do you think he had any large and expensive jewelry lying around? We could always sell those." 

"I doubt it. There's jewelry, all right, but they're mostly period pieces, Onegin family heirlooms and antiques, not to mention the fact that some of them are probably stolen. I don't think you could sell them without getting a lot of suspicious questions from reputable dealers."

"Oh." Anya considered for a moment. "What about disreputable ones? Do they ask as many questions?" 

Xander firmly grasped Anya's arm and began steering her out of the room. "Don't mind my mercenary fiancée, folks. She had a depraved childhood." 

Willow chuckled as Buffy helped her stand up. "That's 'deprived', Xander." 

"No, I think I got it right the first time."

TBC


	5. After Math

Spike whistled a jaunty tune as he strode through the sewers, swinging the briefcase by his side. Let the Scoobies have their group hugs if that's what made them feel better. It was the perfect opportunity for him to sneak away. He'd wanted to raid Onegin's bedroom and nick some of the priceless little tidbits his eye had landed on, but he didn't want to run into any of Buffy's little friends. 

Anyway, he had his perfect prize right in his hands. He came upon a few vampires in the tunnels, stragglers who were either just making it in from the outside or others who'd managed to get past Buffy and company. He staked them almost cheerfully and climbed out of the tunnel. Narrowing his eyes, he darted quickly from one shady spot on the street to another. He could always come back for his motorcycle later.

He rubbed his hands together and peered at the suitcase lying on the table in his crypt. He frowned when he realized he didn't have the combination for it. Dismissing it as unimportant, he picked up a heavy brick from some of the crypt's broken stonework and began hammering at the hinges. Several minutes and one severely dented case later, he finally managed to open it. 

He stared greedily at the green bills nestled inside and carefully picked up one bundle. He riffled through the sheaf of paper and frowned. There was something…odd about it. Looking through them more slowly, his eyes widened as he stared at the lower pieces of paper. He snatched up the other bundles and pawed through them wildly. They were all the same.

Spike roared and threw the suitcase hard enough against the nearest crypt wall to send chips flying out of the stone.

Xander woke up at the alarm. He shut it off, winced and shuffled slowly towards the shower. Two mornings after the fight at the castle and he was still feeling the aches and pains from the battle. He heard the doorbell ring and sighed. It never failed. Just as you were about to enjoy a nice hot shower…

"Xander, honey, could you get the doorbell?" 

"Why don't you get it? You're closer." 

"I'm making breakfast. I don't want the waffles to burn." 

He grumbled and wrapped a robe around himself. He opened the door and squinted at the postman. "You Alexander Harris?"

"Yep, that's me." 

"Sign here, please." Xander scribbled his name on the slip and closed the door. He juggled the package carefully. It was thick and carefully padded and had no return address. Peeling back the heavy tape, he peered inside and gawped at the contents.

"Xander, who was it?" Anya wandered out when there was no answer. Xander looked up at her wildly and yanked out what was in the package. "Oh my god!!!"

Two thick bundles were being waved in his hands. "It's….it's more money than I've ever seen in my life! Holy early retirement, Batman!" 

She rushed over and snatched it from him. "Xander, there must be over $20,000 here! Who sent it?"

"Wait, Anya, there's a note." He plucked out a small piece of paper that read simply, 'To my first friend'.

Buffy was opening a similar package at her house. When Dawn saw the money, she squealed in excitement. She kept pressing the money to her nose as if she couldn't believe it was real. "Buffy, who's it from?"

The note read, 'To the First Slayer'.

Willow's note showed, 'To my first girl kiss'. Tara's read, 'To my first cat fight'.

Spike was sulking in his crypt. Yeah, it was quite a bit of cash, once he'd gotten over his temper tantrum and counted it. It was almost $10,000—more money that he'd had in a long while. But he was still furious. The bint had cheated him! He'd gone along with their idiotic lifesaving plan in good faith and she'd robbed him of his rightful pay. 

He could understand her feelings, though. She'd disliked him from the beginning and including him in the scheme had been Willow's idea not hers. She'd probably planned to take the money from the demon all along after Buffy killed it. His inclusion in the business had nearly wrecked her project but she'd managed to pull it off anyway. He felt an almost grudging admiration for her cunning. She'd been able to pull the wool over everybody's eyes good and proper, including his own.

Musing over this turn of events, he was lying around sucking on a beer when the knock on his crypt door came. He got up warily. It was close to sundown, though there was still enough daylight to prove dangerous. Standing out of its path, he opened his crypt door to find Xander holding a package for him. 

"Oh, it's you. What do you want?"

"And a top of the evening to you, too, Fangless! I got this little package in the mail today. It's addressed to you. Guess the U.S. postal service doesn't deliver to rat-infested crypts." 

"There were probably more rats in that dank basement of yours than there ever were in this place, whelp." 

Xander pretended to peer into the darkened depths. "Oh, you mean you ate them all? Anyway, here's your package, John Boy." He thrust the small bundle unceremoniously into Spike's hands and bounced away, whistling, back to his car.

Spike ripped open the package and pulled out a small finely crafted wooden box. There was an envelope with it that was labeled, 'To William the Bloody'. He opened it. The note inside confirmed what he already knew.

"Spike: You've probably discovered by now that not all of the paper in the case was money. Only the top layer of $100 bills are real. The rest of the bundles are sheaves of the Blue Pages that I painstakingly cut out with an Exacto knife. I made the switch between the two cases and you were none the wiser. As you pointed out to me, vampires don't need to pay rent, gas, heating or water bills and you obviously don't care for clothes all that much so I figured that, being human, I'd need the money far more than you. There's still plenty of cash there for you to keep yourself in beer, fags (take _that_ however you wish), nail polish and that stinky hair dye of yours for a long while. I'm taking the rest of the money and heading out for sunny climes. By the way, I don't live out of New York anymore and I never had any parents in Vermont. I just said that to throw you and the Slayer's friends off the trail. I have plenty of money, countless hours of sunlight ahead of me and formidable computer skills at my command. That's more than enough to help me disappear permanently from your radar. You won't find me; don't even try. Don't spend any time in pointless revenge and don't bother going to Buffy or her friends for consolation. You'll find them remarkably unsympathetic. Ciao, my little bow-wow! Have a nice unlife. 

"P.S. Don't feel too gloomy. I've left you a consolation prize. It might improve your chances with Buffy."

Consolation prize? He wrinkled his brows and turned the box over and over in his hands. Deciding it was probably harmless, he carefully tore off the tape holding it shut and then halted, stunned, at what was nestled in the box's soft velvet interior.

It was a small vial containing blood from the Mohra demon.

Finis


End file.
